Author Archives: Jessica Tibbs

First Reader-Alison and Bruce’s Awkward Connection

Towards the end of the novel, when Alison is in college, she and her dad strike up this quasi-relationship built on their mutual interest (or, his interest and her assignment) of a number of popular novels. This”relationship” struck me as very odd. In fact, I put “relationship” in quotation marks because I’m not sure if that’s what you’d call it.

As Alison grew up, she and her dad had nothing in common. He wanted her to dress a certain way she didn’t like, she hated his hyper-controlling nature that loomed over the house. They would later find out that they had a connection of sorts in both being homosexuals, but that didn’t prove to be something they really grasped at to strengthen their relationship. So, they bonded (sorta) over books. Even during this bonding, Bruce continues to be the over-bearing father (“You damn well better identify with every page”). Alison continues to feel oppressed by his controlling ways (“His excitement left little room for my own…by the end of the year I was suffocating”). 

Even during this newfound connection that bridged (you know, one of those shaky, rope bridges over top of a lava pit) the huge gap that was Ali and Bruce’s relationship, their foundation as father and daughter never really changed.

Respondents: Do you think there was ever a chance for Alison and Dad? Does anyone believe that there was more of an emotional connection during this period…something I missed?

Respondents-Re: Natalie’s First Reader Post

Natalie wrote:

As I’ve been reading this, I’ve been wondering about what makes this a remarkable graphic novel or piece of literary text. I mean, Time made it its #1 book of the year in 2006. This is not to say that I don’t like the book! There is just a lot of text and the memoir itself seems steeped in literature. I was just wondering if this book would be the same (or better?) if it were just a straight up novel.

We had a class discussion about whether or not Jimmy Corrigan could be translated into film or novel form. The general consensus was that Jimmy was just too damn avant-garde and comic-specific to be anything other than a graphic novel. I don’t know if this is necessarily the case with Fun Home. To me, a lot of the things that Bechdel draws could also be effectively conveyed through vivid imagery (Everyonecan picture that slightly creepy Dad who wears cut-off jean shorts.).  This thought then makes me wonder if the book would be as heralded as it is if it were mere novel. Is what makes it original the fact that it’s a comic book?

Bechdel’s art style is very detailed at moments, but it is still very iconic and therefore I don’t know if the drawings really help evoke the extravagant nature of her house (except maybe the last panel of p. 17). The only real function I see in the art is that it helps make the literary illusions more subtle (so she doesn’t actually have to say, “Yeah, I masturbated to Anais Nin.”) Perhaps my opinion will change once I finish the book. What do other people think? Could Fun Homefunction pretty well as a straight up novel?

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Now that we’ve discussed in class the plausibility of Fun Home being made into a novel, I’d agree with your hesitation to say that it would still be as critically acclaimed. I think that the art holds a TON of meaning, and while it could be translated into words, the work would probably lose some merit in doing so. I believe that Fun Home was so well-received due largely to it’s genre of graphic novel.

Fun Home stands out as a work comprised of very iconic, cartoon-y images, mixed with such verbose prose and heavy (emotionally) content. That combination of qualities is what makes it so great. Or so Time says. If you take the imagery aspect out of the mix, it’s not quite the same. You’d still be left with a novel that is verbose and has a deep story line, but without that third element of illustration, Fun Home wouldn’t be as admirable, I don’t think. I’m sure it could function alright, but that outstanding quality Fun Home possesses that won it such praise wouldn’t shine as brightly.

 

First Readers: In My Darkest Hour

This is definitely not a light read. Somewhat like Jimmy Corrigan, in Santiago’s novel, we have a troubled man who’s looking or hoping for something else in life, while struggling with issues like love, work, social life, etc. “In My Darkest Hour” is definitely a true-to-life story, as many people can probably relate to one or many of the issues Omar deals with in the novel. How many of us has been depressed over a job that seems to be nothing but stress and hassle, while reaping us no rewards? How about feeling like we’re stuck in a place where we don’t want the responsibilities of adulthood, yet we know we have to be responsible for ourselves? These and other topics covered in the novel really can hit home for some readers. That being said, I can certainly understand why some people would find the novel too depressing, or not feel any sympathy for Omar. But as an outsider looking into the world of this character, it’s a lot easier to judge him and his decisions. When we’re going through these issues ourselves, we can always make reasons as to why we do things or choose certain directions. Those of us that have been there can probably relate a lot more to Omar. Those of us that haven’t had any of these experiences would probably find little sympathy for his character.

Along with the content, the artwork of “In My Darkest Hour” really struck me. I enjoyed looking at it artistically, whether or not Omar’s misery was in mind. I really liked how the characters were drawn rather simply, but the backgrounds were more intricate, blurry at times. The backgrounds are drawn realistically, and even feature photographic backdrops. I wonder if in making the backgrounds so defined and realistic, Santiago was showing the reader how concrete life can seem for Omar. Remembering McCloud’s text, the more defined the artwork, the less relatable to the reader. On the other end, the characters are drawn less realistically, and that could be an attempt to get the reader to relate to Omar, since the drawings are more abstract. While this may be a speculation on my part, either way, the artwork was really captivating and helped me swallow the misery of Omar’s character.

Respondents: Do you think that Santiago’s mixture of art styles (realistic backdrops, simply drawn characters) was intentional? Do you think he drew his comic this way in order for his readers to gain different interpretations from the background vs. the characters?

Respondents: Persepolis’ Ending

Lauren wrote:

“Throughout the narrative of Persepolis, the reader is always moving forward. The narrative transforms and ages much like Marji does, therefore creating a unique connection between the reader and Marji. There are first hand accounts of acid trips, sexual encounters, and all-out disasters that are privvy to us and not to her parents. Perhaps returning to her homeland imprisioned her more than empowered her, but the ending of Persepolis was like an object at rest. There was a halt to movement, flow, and reason of the novel. All the while this young strong women is testing the limits and finding herself in a culturally mixed up world you would expect a stronger ending to come out of  it. All development was halted, as Marji was sent off again. I’m not expecting a happy ending with butterflies and songs, but a stronger statement could have been made. Yes, this is a memoir, and yes, that makes it inherent to Marji’s own life. But, as we discussed in class last week Marji’s life was defined by her country’s history — and a tumultuous one at that. Marji was such a  turgid teenager living in Austria that I personally expected her return to Iran to be one of political discourse, with power and uprising against what was being done to her country. Never did I expect for her to leave, especially after her parents wanted her back home so badly. This isn’t a narrow-minded rant about feminism or about revolution. It is merely a comment on a narrative, whether it be real or not.”

 

I had the same reaction when I finished the book. I turned the page expecting to continue reading, but there was no more! I was a bit disappointed. For one thing, I really enjoyed this book and wanted more. But I was also disappointed with the halted ending. I suppose it was poignant, but weakly so. In one way, Marji was leaving Iran for the second time, to begin her journey into adulthood on her own. There were happy tears from the family, and everyone was ready to move into the new phases of their lives: Marji to begin her life as a single adult, her parents to begin their truly “empty nest” phase, and then….grandma’s death. That threw me off. Especially when I turned the page and realized that was the last panel of the book. I wasn’t sure exactly how to take that. The news of grandma’s death and then the last words “Freedom had a price” were very solemn. I wanted to be happy for Marji and her transition into adulthood, but I was too sad and confused! “Freedom had a price.” Does that refer to Marji, paying for her “freedom” from home by losing her grandma, or was that phrase referring to how grandma died, in some act of political retaliation? The latter seems a bit out there, but damnit, the text was vague and I didn’t know how to take it!! Nevertheless, I did really like this novel, regardless of the off-putting ending.

Searchers – Yang’s “Monkey Kingdom”

http://www.humblecomics.com/monkey/

[As another searcher noted, Yang’s website is Humble Comics, and the site is truly humble in itself. Still, it is a great little resource into the mind and works of Gene Yang. There’s a list of his comics, showing the cover art, with a little blurb about why he wrote it and what he was trying to accomplish for each one.]

In the “Sites” section, there’s a link to his “Monkey Kingdom” page which is pretty interesting. We already have figured out that Yang’s mother’s stories about the Monkey King were very influential to him. Here he dedicates an entire webpage to the Monkey King, where you can learn more about said monkey. Sections include: “Who is the Monkey King?” (insightful commentary from the author about the Monkey tale ((pun intended)) and his relationship with the fable), “Monkey in the Media, (other instances of the Monkey King story in Western culture)” and “Monkey Goodies” (two little flash projects Yang did during college).

This page gives us a deeper look into one of the major characters (or since they’re all the same guy…THE main character) in American Born Chinese.

First Readers – Maus II

Throughout Maus I, we saw an ongoing interspersing of Vladek’s story and Art’s progress of his comic book. The beginning of Maus II gives a little more emphasis to Art’s own life and story. Maus certainly could have stood on its own with only Vladek’s story of his struggles throughout the Holocaust. However, the addition of Art’s story and his own personal struggles adds depth to Maus. It’s interesting to learn more about Art’s personal issues this way; at first we see him light-heartedly sketching animals to represent Francoise’s character, but as the novel continues, Art opens up a bit to reveal his own feelings toward his dad. Art mentions a strange wish that he could have been at Auschwitz, to experience what his parents experienced. He feels guilty of having an easy life. I can’t imagine how this must have felt to him. Art knew that his parents essentially survived Hell, and he was able to grow up in a comfortable home and had a comfortable childhood (as far as I can assume). In addition to feeling guilt about what his parents went through, Art also has to deal with his insecurities and guilt revolving around his “ghost brother.” Richieu died as a young boy during the turmoil of the war, and Vladek and Anja lived the rest of their life with only a picture of their lost son hanging on the wall. As hard as it must have been for the couple to lose their first-born son, Art had a difficult time with this as well. He always had to live in his brother’s shadow, looking up to the unfamiliar picture of Richieu on the wall. Art never knew his brother, yet he felt the pressure to live up to this “perfect son” and prove himself to his parents as an adequate and deserving child. All these struggles that Art went through in his own life really add to the depth of Maus as a whole. Through the novel is primarily an account of the Holocaust through Vladek’s memories, Art’s personal experiences give another dimension to the story; his parent’s experiene during the Holocaust molded how Art grew up, as well as his relationship with his parents and his “ghost brother.” I think Art sells himself short when he feels guilty for not having been at Auschwitz: he had his own personal struggles, and through not as dramatic or life-threatening as his father’s, Art’s story was important in itself and deserved to have its place in Maus.

Respondents – Maus

Nathalie asked, in first reader post:

Respondents: What do you think of the present tense action? Is it necessary? What are some other reasons he might have structured the story with flashbacks intermingled with the present? … What do you think of the usage of dialect? Is Vladek the only one to speak in accented English? Is it effective? Confusing? Offensive?

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I agree that the present time action in Maus is a effective in breaking up the war-time story line. I felt like it kind of brought me back to my senses after reading (and seeing) the startling account of Vladek and Anja’s experiences. I do think that this integration of present time panels is necessary in adding depth to the novel. Spieglman certainly could have made it a strictly 1930s-40s timeline, but the infusion of his experience with his elderly father not only let us know more about the author himself, but most importantly (I think) it gives us depth into Vladek’s character hand how the war effected him for the rest of his life. Through those present time panels, we see how conscious Vladek is of his health, and how frugal he has become. Of course, seeing his experience in the Holocaust explains exactly why.

I enjoyed reading Vladek’s accented dialect. Like someone mentioned in class, after sitting and reading the first book straight through in one sitting,  I couldn’t stop thinking in this inverted accent. It reminded me of my own grandfather (another Polish Jew). I found it very effective; I think it gave Vladek all the more personality. It made him real, gave him roots (which I think is a little more difficult in this particular novel, since there was no longer descriptive passages telling us about Vladek’s history). We hear the story pretty much only through Vladek’s voice and for me,  his accent made it all the more believable and true to life.

Searchers – An Informative Collegiate Paper on Watchmen

http://watchmenanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/08/wesleyan-university-honors-college_1443.html

This is a thesis paper I came across while searching for Watchmen related things…I think this is a helpful resource because it gives us the thoughts and opinions of another college-level person, but in a formalized way, so it’s not just some kid rambling on about comics. I found it quite informative.

 

Sorry guys, I didn’t know how to make the url into a link 🙁