1) One thing I’ve noticed so far in Shortcomings is the theme of people who are the recipients of discrimination that also discriminate against different groups. For example, Ben claims that everyone knew the movie at the beginning of the comic was garbage and that people just clapped because it was made by a Chinese girl. After hearing him say this, Miko even asks him if he is ashamed to be Asian. Another example is when Alice tells Ben that her family will not be happy about the fact that he is Japanese, but says that “everything is preferable to homos” even though she herself is gay. Why is it that people who have to deal with discrimination turn on others or even insult themselves? Is there a similarity here between the way that in Maus, Vladek is persecuted and discriminated against as a Jewish man, but he in turn discriminates against black people?
2) I thought it was interesting that Ben and Alice discuss another person, Elvin Wang, who they agree blamed all of his problems on racism. Alice then claims that Ben is the opposite - that he refuses to see the realities of discrimination. Do you think it’s strange that Ben, who grew up in Oregon, has said that he has never really dealt with people discriminating against him? Why do you think he wanted Alice to stop talking about these issues?
3) Derek Parker Royal wrote in MELUS; "Tomine’s resistance to racialized identity in his works, for which some Asian-Americans have criticized him, is called into question by his recent efforts to confront Asian-American subject matters. As a result, one can read his semi-autobiographic comics as a chronicle of the limits and responsibilities of ethnic representation.” Do you agree that Shortcomings can be interpreted this way?
4) The style of Shortcomings is black and white, but very different from the heavy and bold style of Persepolis. Do you think the text and illustrations work well together in Shortcomings?
5) Since the definition for a shortcoming is “a fault or failure to meet a certain standard, typically in a person's character, a plan, or a system,” why do you think Adrian Tomine named his comic book Shortcomings? Do you think it’s a fitting title?
In some cases I can believe that Ben might not feel that he had been discriminated against at his school. I grew up in Norwood in the late 70's early 80's and there was a large population of Vietnamese immigrants at the time...as kids these were just a few new kids from a different country. They were immediately accepted into the popular group of kids and at school at least they did not seem to have problems. I would imagine at home though things might have been different although Tommy and Liechow never said so. So I see that Ben might have had a similar situation, although with his personality I find that hard to believe.
ReplyDeleteI think that Ben sees himself as something different than who he is. He thinks he is not racist, but he is. He thinks that everyone else in the whole world has a problem that he does not. The truth of the matter is that Ben is the problem, and it is not a race problem. Ben is just a jerk.
If you are white you might think that we do not have our own form of racism but we are no different than Alice when she says that Ben is Japanese which her family will think is horrible but less horrible than if she tells them she is gay. In some homes it is better to tell your family you are gay than to bring home someone from the wrong side of the tracks (i.e. - poor white trash).
But having read all of the book, I believe that this is less a book about racism than a book about talking about everything except the real problem which begins and ends with Ben is a jerk. Ben is willing to talk about anything except that, because he is perfect therefore incapable of being said jerk.
1. I really like the point that you made in the first question. The comparison of the ways the authors are self deprecating towards their own heritage is certainly interesting. Yes I do see why they do it from a point of understanding their troubles. Either way it certainly is similar. As far as being racist towards others due to your own discrimination, I think its a tool to reassure yourself that you are human. It is something the authors put in their to show they are not completely innocent, but a sheep to the same over arching issue of humanities's nepotism.
ReplyDelete2. I think its a cultural shift, different people handle it differently, talking about something like racism can make it more real than ever.
3.I think limits is certainly a strong word for what hes done here. Yes it does get very "meta" in a sense but I do not necessarily agree with this interpretation of Shortcomings at this time.
4.This graphic novel is certainly a more visually detailed novel than the prior 2. It sets a more real time tone than Persepolis. There are nice subtitles throughout, showing emotion through small shifts in mannerism, although the protagonist seems to be quite often dreary and in a existential crisis. The text and style work well together if that is what the author wants of the audience. I feel that the author is driving for sympathy. In my opinion a more symbolic style of artwork would have gotten that from the audience, rather than what is on the paper here.
2. I got the sense that Ben wanted Alice to stop talking about those issues because Ben had never found racism to be a hindrance in his life ,and certainly not one with enough weight to really be at fault for all his problems. I don't think it was strange for Ben to feel this way because it's not outrageous, in my mind, to believe an individual can grow to Ben's age, in the current state of the world, and not experience racism. Stranger things have happened.
ReplyDelete3. Yes, I think Tomine's comics are in open dialogue, conversation with the current mentality on contemporary race definitions, characteristics, struggles and victories. Embracing and speaking about the issues of a race is not the same thing as racism, especially when the comments come from within the culture. Tomine's voice should be driving people towards a reaction and excels at it.
5.) This goes with what I was saying in #3. The gray areas reached by Alice and Ben or Ben and Miko are where Tomine's characters fail to reach a definitive or satisfying interpretation of the standard for modern Asian American culture. The comic highlights the shortcomings of the perception of Asian American life by those both outside and in.
Shortcomings-
ReplyDeleteThe issue of race is a complicated subject. Some people throw differences into the air hoping for some sort of reaction hoping to lighten an issue. I feel as if Ben is the kind of person who just wants to be seen as a “person” and not just a specific race. He talks about race so it is obviously an important subject to him, but he is the type of person that makes it obvious that he wants to be seen as a normal person. I feel like Ben deals with discrimination by turning on others or insulting himself because he wants to lighten the mood and stress of these situations. The way he reacts to the film in the beginning shows that he cares what others think. He seems to have strong desires to not be looked at through a lens of race and wants a sort of equal bar at every level of society, which is always important. I can definitely see similarities in the way Vladek in Maus and Ben see the world. These people don’t want to be seen as different, but make it an issue that they are.
I don’t think it’s strange that Ben had never felt discrimination growing up. He goes on to describe himself as being “practically the only non-Aryan…” in his entire school. I feel like because of this, he wasn’t thrown into a specific group and could meld with the whole instead of focusing on the parts. He sees himself as a different man, but tends to put focus on his differences being personality and skill-wise. When Ben decides that he doesn’t want to talk about these issues, it becomes obvious that race is an issue. He just covers them up with other ideas of difference. Like his reaction to the film in the beginning he wants to be seen, as like everyone else around him, though these racial issues always seem to protrude into his life, contradicting his own stated beliefs.
I believe that Shortcomings gives a very personal look at race and it should be seen as an important piece of writing regarding a common desire to be open in the idea of race. Ben is a normal guy living in the real world, going through life and interacting with everyone differently. He always seems to return to this idea of race and his demand for equality. This being a book about race and his own personal demand that he doesn’t feel oppressed in that way is somewhat meta. I feel like he is just putting a focus on the way his own ideas might be a barrier of ones on racial representation.
I really like the style of the story. It’s very focused on realism. There are detailed settings and character design. Each character has distinct looks that put focus on human form. It’s unlike Persepolis’ own character design with less detailed features. This story is set in realism and in no way pulls from the fantastical. Persepolis used a sort of cartoony design and representation of history and personal ideas, but Shortcomings puts focus on a very real interpretation. I believe that he is trying to put a focus on what’s current and real in society without being distracted by some sort of flashy design. He wants to show major differences in ways the world sees them.
So, Ben has some issues with himself, besides just some discrimination against Asians. He doesn't really have an identity of any kind, he's kind of being told what his identity should be and he doesn't agree with that. Alice also some issues with her own sexuality, and telling her parents that she's gay is a really big issue for her because it goes against an identity she's supposed to have.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't want to face the issues that she was talking about. Where he grew up he may have been stereotyped but it wasn't really racism. In Berkley, people expect him to be well educated, smart and act like an Asian. He didn't do that, and he may feel some kind guilt about it.
I think the illustrations are more complementary to what the story is saying than in Persepolis. They are more realistic than in Persepolis where we had to also imagine what she was saying. That style of drawing worked because it made the reader think about the awkwardness of growing up in Iran, where Shortcomings is trying to portray an important issue that faces many people, identity.
I think the title "Shortcomings" is supposed to make you think. It is one of Ben's hang ups that he has an issue with being Asian American, and also that he has a thing for white women. It is also an issue for Alice because she is Asian and gay. Her family is stereotypical and they don't like other Asians unless they are Chinese (which Alice obviously has some issues with that), and Christian. It would be an issue for her parents to find out that she's gay.
Ben and Alice are not comfortable with who they are, it is their Shortcomings.
I think what’s going on in this work is sort of this giant ambivalence in regards to race. Ben occupies this sort of grey area: he went to school that was basically all white, and I think that he identifies significantly less with being Asian and I feel like I can’t really say why this is-- be it his largely white school experience, maybe he is less comfortable with Japanese cultural values, maybe he finds he doesn’t fit the stereotype he’s being pegged into. Maybe he does, and he just dislikes it. We don’t really know anything but his distaste and disgust toward him being racialized. He scowls at Wang blaming all his issues on race, he thinks the cultural coming-of-age movie is romanticized crap. He seems highly critical of his own race, picking on the “wannabe gangsters” and saying that Asian girls all look the same. His choice in reading shows that he prefers the Western aesthetic in women. He wants to separate from this identification, but somehow is bound to it. His only friends in this book so far are too Asian American. He tries dating white women but feels he must address race in a way that isn’t reciprocated (like on page 67 with his imagined competition/kinship with other Asian males dating a white woman). Perhaps he falls short to meet the Asian American model and the white one as well. (We know this is true of Alice.)
ReplyDeleteAside from race, the characters in this book have a lot of personal shortcomings going on—a lot of fooling around, a lot of dissatisfaction, a lot of growing up to do. This is an uncomfortable spot for this character, and I feel like the coming-of-age for the cultural/racial identity is something all racial minorities must face. But is his dissociation problematic? Everyone around him believes so. I’m interested to see if Ben is going to be a self-fulfilling prophecy and his story will become the plotline of the film he snubs or if he’s going to wander in circles and remain as ambivalent and dissatisfied as ever by the end. Where the reader is supposed to situate themselves is a question of mine, because I don’t know who we’re really supposed to root for. Maybe just for these confused people to find their way—it’s one of those sad realties we just don’t like looking at.
1) Well that's a good way to put it because I think this lets us come to our own conclusion that people are just the product of their surroundings. If someone is bullied as a kid they'll grow up to be a bit of a bully. If people make fun of your race, you'll probably grow up to be a little racist yourself. That's an interesting way to put it since about everyone in this comic is very far from perfect.
ReplyDelete2) He may have just been handling this in a different way. A lot of people will just suppress their problems until it becomes severe and just stay in the world of denial until it goes away. But I actually do believe him that different towns are much more or less susceptible to racial stereotypes.
3) Well I don't see how he can be resisting racialized identity so much if it's basically the whole setting of his comic. Literally nothing happens that doesn't relate to one character's race and stereotypes as viewed by another. The only actions are that of people intersections with each other, and they're typically fueled by race or stereotypes. But chronicling the limits and responsibilities of ethnic representation? It seems to me anything you say about racist content will be racist regardless, so I really don't know what to say about this person's point of view.
4) No. I'm glad you asked that! But no. You need to spot blacks and fill areas to lead the eye around the page and let it rest in an equal amount of both. This is done nicely on the cover and in low light scenes (very well actually!) But when it's a well lit room, hair is jet black and everything else is an outline. That is just amateur art. But what's weird is that I know Tomine has potential in his low light scenes. Better than I can at least. It reminds me of an inferior Charles Burns, which isn't a bad thing. I say inferior just because of those awkward well lit scenes.
5) I think it's fitting especially after finishing it. (Sorry I one shotted the book it was an interesting read that held me) And the title had me applying it to different characters and situations and it always seemed to well summarize the book. Funnily in the end I really didn't like the book, but the title was very nice in terms of its relevance. The book just wasn't my cup of tea.
1. When you are treated poorly because of the group that you belong to, you tend to retreat into that group. People tend to group with what is familiar, race being one of the easiest things to group around. It becomes the assumption, that because people aren't like you, they can't ever fully understand you, so you keep them at arms length.
ReplyDelete2. Ben proves time and again throughout the story that he can't stand to be wrong. Whenever he is in danger of losing an argument or being forced to examine his wrongdoings, he tries to silence the opposition or end the argument. I think this says less about his race and more about his personality, as he is someone who can't see his own (pardon the title drop) Shortcomings.
4. Shortcomings and Persepolis have nearly opposite styles of symbolism. Tomine tends to represent everything in realistic circumstance, relying on movie like angles to create tension or deliver a point. Satrapi, on the other hand, chooses to use a more fantastical style, representing things in ways that would be impossible outside of cartoonish art.
5. Having read the whole story, I feel that Shortcomings is a perfect name for the story, as it seems to be based around a person who is struggling to come to grips with his own shortcomings.
This would absolutely be my expectation (that people being discriminated against would tend to retreat farther into a group of people who you view as the same / who won't judge) and I think we see this in Persepolis. However, I was thinking of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and this shows another possibility, which is internalized racism. I think it's very unfortunate that the ideals of another culture could be internalized and further make someone ashamed of their own cultural identity. I am not sure if this is the case with Ben, but I get the idea that other characters like Alice and Miko think it is.
DeleteI also agree about Ben's inability to recognize that he could be wrong. In his relationship with Miko, for example, they fight and he seems to be completely unaware of why she becomes frustrated with him in various circumstances. This is absolutely a shortcoming for him. And I also agree that the name of this comic seems to refer to the various shortcomings of the characters. In previous comics, I think we've seen a pretty honest portrayal of characters - the good and the bad. With Shortcomings, I think the emphasis is definitely on the negative side of things.
I have to say I really like that phrase, "retreat". It really outlines that it isn't a voluntary action, but a way to regroup ones self in a social atmosphere that is stigmatic. You look towards those who share your likeness, and build your feelings to match.
Delete2) One point that has been hinted at a lot in this book so far is that racism against Asians in America is not nearly on the same level as we saw in Maus. The racism against Asians is much more subtle, so subtle that Ben chooses not to see it. His girlfriend is much more in tune with it. You know when you buy a new car and then all of a sudden you see a million of those cars on the road that you never really noticed before? I think that racism has had a similar effect on Ben's girlfriend. Once she started to see it she is seeing it more and more, while Ben is still in denial that it even exists. It's interesting that Ben acknowledges that he has been discriminated against, but downplays the role his race had in this. It's really hard to know if he was being truthful or not. Maybe to him it just seemed like he was just getting picked on because of his personality, but we will never know the true story.
ReplyDelete4) It is very interesting to draw a parallel between the art style of this book and that of Persepolis. Persepolis is drawn in a very stylized, over simplified manner, while Shortcomings is much more realistic and accurate. They both feel like animations, it's clear that the characters are drawings but they feel alive nonetheless. I believe that in Persepolis it is easier for the reader to project their own emotions and feelings onto the characters because of the simplified nature of the drawings. In Shortcomings, it feels less like we are experiencing the events of the plot with the characters (like in Persepolis) and more like we are just watching the events unfold with these characters. One way is not superior to the other, but they definitely affect how the reader subconsciously connects with the characters.
I really like the parallel you drew between buying a new car and racism - I think it's definitely true! I think that it is possible to overlook a lot of things until you see the common thread from one event to the other. Suddenly, it's not as easy to dismiss things. I think this sort of thing can even happen in retrospect. For example, when Alice tells Ben that he is refusing to see discrimination, he might have looked back on times in his life where he felt like the odd one out and attribute it to racism, at least in part, instead of his personality.
Delete1. The moment Miko ask if him if he was ashamed to be Asian, that’s ALL I could think about for the rest of the reading. That truly is what it feels like. Trying to see it from Ben’s perspective, he doesn’t see it that way. It’s just all the things that have influenced him throughout his life - an asian that grew up in America.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, I think it was one way to keep the conversation from continuing. But also, Ben does everything in his power to not admit to what is really going on. It’s almost like his is lying to himself and doesn’t plan on changing. Alice seems like one who can confront these racist problems with her friends. But can’t truly stand up to them because of the way she was raised. Her parents would disown her if they only knew her preferences.
4. I’m glad we are talking about the style of the artist work. It is obviously very different then our previous 2 books. These are much more realistic cartoons. They want us to understand the characters so well they give us a key at the beginning of the book to know who is who, before we read even one frame.
It’s an interesting contrast and comparison using realistic figures and scenes. Since we know what these people look like in real life, we are looking at them, instead of being them. It changes the perception of the story. We are now watching the story unfold and watching it from the outside. With Vladek, we became him during the war.
The clean line weight and crisp white/black shapes makes each frame feel like a snapshot of the moment. You are just looking back in time to what the conversations were like between the characters. Also, they are using different techniques to show how different people are speaking. Dotted lines show they say it under their breath and sold are spoken out loud. Just to mention one example.
1) I think Ben is definitely suffering from internalized racism, which could be a part of the reason he never has felt like he has been discriminated against, becuase any micro-aggressions he thought he deserved. Example, the small penis thing, he says how the girl said the "cauc" joke said it directly in front of him, that is racist, but before he said he never felt like anyone had been racist towards him. He also says stereotypes are there for a reason, showing he believes the "cauc" joke to be true, and thats why he didn't consider it racism. I think this is a bit different from Vladek, who also seemed to not understand that he was being persecuted because of racism, but different because Vladek was racist based on stereotypes he decided, where as Ben seems to believe established stereotypes that were imposed on him at an early age. I interpreted Alice's comment "everything is preferable to homos" as deprecating humor. Such a tool can be used in the process of assimilation to make the oppressors like the oppressed more. Ben uses it to.
ReplyDelete3) I think Shortcomings can definitely be interpreted as a chronicle of the limits and responsibilities of ethnic representation. If Tomine was criticized for ignoring Asian racial issues, this book is a perfect response as Ben is totally clueless as to why race is such a big deal to everyone, as if by his not directly acknowledging it, he is contributing to oppression. Tomine possibly could have been reacting to this criticism by giving the people what they wanted, or he could be rebutting them and asking why they wanted it, but that will most likely be revealed in the conclusion of the story.
4) I really like the story of Shortcomings. I thought Maus was very clunky and hard to read, and Persepolis was almost so simplistic that it was no longer impressive. This is very nicely drawn as well as being easy to read.
5) I think Tomine named the book Shortcomings to reference Ben's failure to meet the expectations of the Asian-American community. He is constantly being criticized on all fronts for liking white women or not being Korean but Japanese, and he is constantly struggling with an uphill battle of trying to impress people when he doesn't even see the problem with himself.
1) I think that the reason Ben is so averse to race politics etc. is that he's afraid of being vulnerable. By acknowledging the fact that racism exists, and that he has been its victim, he destroys a huge part of himself. I don't think he's internalized some kind of race hatred, but I do think that he tries to distance himself from his heritage. I can totally understand why he would want to do that. I get uncomfortable when people try to lump me together with a group, and try to be prescriptive when they really know nothing about me. I think Ben's problems go a little bit deeper than a desire for individuality and respect, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Alice's comment is in anyway an insult towards herself. She's establishing her parents' point of view. To them, anything really is "preferable" to their daughter being gay.
2) I don't have the information available to say if Ben really was discriminated against because of his race in his life. I have some snippets -- like the "cauc" joke, but even that's not overtly "racist" -- but not enough to determine if he's "wrong." Assuming that he is, though, and that he has been discriminated against in some substantial way, I think his refusal to talk about race and his cynical criticism of the film at the beginning are ways for him to distance himself from race politics entirely.
4) I really enjoyed the art in this one. Persepolis and Maus both had great art, but I think this art captures humanity and emotion in a way that's seldom seem in the medium.
I will say again that the use of black and white is merely a trend established to save costs in printing, and also the eyes of the readers, since it would be incredibly taxing to read a text-heavy comic in full color.
The theme of stereotypes and discrimination is established very early on in the story. Discrimination against others is the key element of the story, but the title of the story helps to draw attention to another theme, the shortcomings of people. Alice is a womanizer, Ben is super negative and innattentive, and it seems to me that Miko tries to force her perspective on the world. The comparison of Vladek to some of these characters is interesting. The source of discrimination for each of these characters comes from different places. Alice faces discrimination from her family and in turn spreads that out across others, Ben lives within his own fantasy and is unsatisfied with reality, Miko discriminates out of societies discrimination against Asians. Vladek's discrimination stems from a negative experiences from others. This resembles the Korean's dislike of Japanese people.
ReplyDeleteDuring this conversation, it seemed like Ben just wanted out of the conversation as it brought a harsh light onto himself. Ben likes to criticize the world he is living in, but ultimately prefers to protect his internal, ideal world. Ben's past is not described in any great detail so it is hard to say either way if he was really discriminated against. He also mentions that any negative experiences could be attributed to his anti-social nature.
I think that Ben growing up in Oregon had some part in his hatred for his own kind, but I also think that it had something to with his character. Ben seems very angry and confused throughout the book. It doesn't seem like he is proud of anything in his life or is looking forward to anything either.
ReplyDeleteHe mentioned in high school he had very poor social skills and I don't think anything has really change from that. As I saw him ruin his relationship with his Girlfriend I see many traits of a scared young boy. When you are truly in love with someone you support their decisions and you don't make them feel bad for doing what could possibly make them happy.
I think that Ben's problem is anger for the most part. He has no way of controlling it and seems to snap on anyone who gives them an honest dose of their opinion. He wanted Alice to stop bringing up his issues because those are the few things that Ben knows are wrong with himself. he just doesn't want to take the time to address them.
I too find the theme of those who are the recipients of discrimination also discriminate against others perplexing and intriguing. I think discrimination is a vicious cycle and hate breeds hate. Ben will not acknowledge his race or the race of others, and that creates more conflict and problems socially. Alice is on the other end of the spectrum; she is both Chinese and queer, and she knows her Chinese family would rather see her with a man who is Japanese (the apparent mortal enemy of Chinese) than see her with the same sex. This is damaging and enforces and creates so many divides for Alice. For our characters, I think these acts of discrimination seem t make life easier, simpler for them. Alice feel multiple forms of discrimination every day and likes to control who and how she's judged by. Ben does not want to acknowledge his race, for fear of accepting discrimination. He harbors a lot of anger and shame.
ReplyDeleteBen’s blind spot presents a unique insight into the way that people will handle discrimination. He redefines his experiences in Oregon as not having to do with his race, but instead having it center around his social deficiencies, or shortcomings, if you will. Not only does this fit in with his personal self-hatred, but it also helps him separate his opinions and experiences from his own identity as an Asian-American. Throughout the book, he voices utterly warped views on race and relationships, embracing a double standard between White men and Asian men. By minimizing his own experiences with racism, for despite his statement to the contrary he has definitely been on the receiving end of prejudice, Ben manages to eliminate any cognitive dissonance he might experience with his own views on dating outside of one’s own race.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have only the most basic understanding of Tomine’s other works, I am aware that this is one of the few instances where he directly focused on the topic of Asian-American identity, and I think that Shortcomings does a very good job of exploring this theme. While I must admit that I’m not what you’d consider a poster child of Shortcomings fanaticism, I will happily admit that it accomplishes what it sets out to do. Tomine effectively blends the frustration and confusion found in issues of race with the post-adolescent aimlessness that typifies his work and the work of other comic artists of that time, Dan Clowes in particular. By bringing the issue of race center stage in this particular work, Tomine quickly put an end to any belief that he avoids the issue of race. As for Ben, however, this could not be further from the truth.
“Do you think it’s a fitting title?” Painfully so. As I mentioned earlier, I did not enjoy Shortcomings very much. I respect it, appreciate it, even shower it with praise. But I will not reread it, and the reason why is this: I cannot stand any of the characters whatsoever. Not one. From Ben, to Alice, to Miko, to even the background characters; they are poetically, artfully, majestically unpleasant. And what’s interesting to me is that despite my distaste for Shortcomings’ characters, the work itself reminds me a great deal of Annie Hall, one of my favorite movies. It too features an alienating and damaged protagonist, grappling with issues of identity and romance. But Shortcomings seems to trade in the former’s charm and humanity for a 21st century callousness, opting out of humorousness and instead focusing on, to me, a cheap, cynical realism. But of course, that’s the point. Shortcomings is all about just that, the faults in ourselves and the people that surround us. And so the book does its job. I couldn’t say it was an enjoyable job, but it is certainly a completed one.
Assimilating as a first or second generation american or person of minority decent provides a number of challenges in finding one's place and identity. Ben is not interesting in moving or making a great change and he seems to want a consistent and normal or average life. His comments about Asian and Caucasian relationships seem based on stereotypes that can't be true and must be a result of people who are frustrated and confused discussing these things together. It's interesting where Ben's prejudices lie and how his best friend is a lesbian yet he seems to be completely accepting of her personal choices. Yet, when Ben finds out about Miko lying and hypocritically dating a 'white' person who learned Japanese, Ben becomes irate and neither of the two can see that they have done the same thing to each other because they weren't honest with themselves or they weren't sure what they wanted. To some extent the attitudes Ben and Miko have that confuse them are carried over from their immediate families from overseas. In this way they may have the same problem Vladek had in Maus.
ReplyDeleteBen was focusing on racism in relationships as sexual favoritism. I don't think he really cared as much about general racism as he did understanding why he wasn't completely happy with Miko and she wasn't happy with him. Also, it irked him that she was upset about his videos of women of other races. I think he knew it meant something more to both of them, but they didn't know why it was important so it turned into an argument.
Ben and Miko both have to consider their parent's wishes which are determined by race and sexual preference. They also have to decide how to represent themselves as fully integrated Americans. This means they are prone to explore other kinds of relationships and ways of life that are less traditional before knowing what it means deciding if Asian American and American should be separate labels.
Shortcomings is so casual and familiar in its series of irksome misfortunes and common concerns about life and love. This means the scenes are all basically dialogues between two characters and the action in the scenes is not as important as the facial reaction frames, and use of space in the composition to create timing and mood throughout the frames.
ReplyDeleteSome people deal with different circumstances in a countless number of ways, not necessarily good ways, but it isn’t my place to judge. The first and most common way people deal with situations is sarcasm and humor, or insults. Some people think by criticizing someone else, it sheds light on their wrongdoings, and allows people to think of others instead of focus on their own faults. Yes, there is definitely a similarity between Vladek and how he is discriminated against and how he discriminates another race in turn. It’s human nature to always shed light off your own faults, and point out others.
Yes, I thought it was very strange that he had said he never dealt with discrimination, but considering the kind of person he is, he isn’t very social nor does he have good social skills, if he was discriminated against, he probably dismissed it or decided not to think anything of it. I believe he is a person who runs away from any kind of confrontation, when he argues with Miko, he gets mad, yells, then ends the conversation abruptly.
Yes, I feel the text and illustrations work very well together in Shortcomings, it makes it very easy to follow along to, simple yet interesting.
I think it’s the best title for this book, because it clearly shows that everyone has shortcomings, whether it be in their relationships, in their own selves, or in the way they perceive things.
Well yes. I believe than humans facing discrimination have to turn on someone else and blame them. If they cannot find the external source, they turn that hate into and internal one, based solely on hurt and anger. I figure that if one doesn’t see the discrimination (which is normal for some, especially if that’s not what you grew up with), then talking about it makes one uncomfortable. I feel like Ben is very nervous and uncomfortable because he knows it happens, but he’s never felt and can’t relate. Instead of listening to the stories and trying to understand, he shuts himself out.
ReplyDeleteThe art style of Shortcomings versus Persepolis is very drastic. But Persepolis was a big book with a big story to tell. The style was easier on the eyes and on the mind because of the over load of information you got. Because all of the story was a biography, Persepolis needed a more basic style. Because there isn’t too much information in Shortcomings (it’s a sorter story), the style fits because we can focus more easily on it.
The definition of “shortcomings” is “a failure to meet somethings standards.” And essentially that was the first few pages cover. So yes, it’s a fitting title.