In this poem, Bellocq is once again in Ophelia’s room. He’s there to take another picture of her, nothing else. They are more familiar with each other at this point in the collection, with her referring to him as “Papá Bellocq”. She’s started seeing him as a father figure or mentor of sorts. Ophelia has learned from accompanying him to other shoots, and now she sees her surroundings through a photographer’s lens; she positions herself the way she thinks he’d like and identifies each potential prop in her room. The final line of this piece is one that really highlights Ophelia’s position as a prostitute: “I’m not so foolish that I don’t know this photograph we make will bear the stamp of his name, not mine.”
This sentence truly puts their societal positions into perspective. No matter how close they became, Bellocq was a white man and Ophelia was a mixed-race prostitute. He would always be a station above her, even if she was white. Ophelia has come to terms with her reality, and she acknowledges it. Even with the skills she’s gained and even with all the help she’s given, Ophelia’s name won’t be on the photograph. It will be Bellocq’s, and she’s come to terms with it.
Her resignation comments on not only the time’s view of her station, but also the views on her race and gender. She’s not just a prostitute, she’s also a woman of color. Ophelia is there for the amusement and entertainment of others. She will only be seen as an “exotic curiosity”, as she describes in her August 1911 letter to Constance. Even posed in the nice, higher class clothes Ophelia wears regularly in an attempt to distance herself from her profession, there’s no ignoring the reality.
You mentioned that Ophelia has come to terms with not being given any credit for the photos she is a part of. However, I wonder if she is truly at peace with it. She acknowledges that it would be foolish to assume she’ll be given credit, but does that mean she is not upset by that fact? Do you think it’s possible to come to terms with something but still find it upsetting? I’m not sure. Perhaps she isn’t upset by it, and understands it as the way things are. In that case, I would agree that she has come to terms with Bellocq’s name being the only one associated with the photos.