1. It is a very quick read in my opinion, in what ways did framing play into that? Does navigation seem easier than in some of our prior texts? Why?
2. Up to the point of page 150 (for those of you that haven't read ahead), how much of this just seems like over reactive sensitivity to regular every day events in childhood? I remember myself being yelled at as a child and holding a grudge against that adult for a year and a half, which seems absurd now.
3. In what ways does Davids opinion of characters show through in the style in which they are drawn? The grandma being an obvious one, but check out the drunk drivers on pg. 71. The book certainly shares emotions through style. What stood out to you?
4. This novel is entirely in black and white, are there any scenes that you would consider adding color?
5. What did you think of the style of this memoir? Was it more effective than the priors? Why?
1) Stiches is definitely a very quick read. I think a lot of that has to do with how little text there is, but also the way the images flow together. In a way, reading this comic (especially the parts with no words) seems like flipping through a stack of photos.
ReplyDelete2) I actually didn't get the impression that the scenes of childhood events were overreactions. If anything, it seemed like the opposite. This is a story of a pretty terrifying childhood and almost all the adults in his life were a bit crazy. It's definitely a lot worse than being yelled at by an adult.
3) I love Small's drawing style. I think this is a really good point - that he shows his opinions of the characters and his emotions through the style of drawing. This ties in really well with what Small says about how he regained his ability to communicate by drawing.
4) I think the black and white is pretty good. However, I think this comic could be effective in color as well, really I think it could work either way.
5) I think that this style of memoir was great, and I think it was just a matter of personal choice for Small. It seemed to be more effective for telling his story, because Small was able to communicate his emotion and opinion through the drawings. In terms of the drawings and text/story working together, I thought it was a very effective pairing.
The text is a quick read, but i think a lot of this has to do with the fact that there’s really not a lot of text in this work. Quite a few panels are just images and there isn’t even a heavy narration track going on. I feel as if in some moments that the pacing was WAY too fast and using text— especially in the beginning when the reader is really trying to orient in time and space— would have been more effective considering the weight of the panels. For example, the scene in which he is burned by his grandmother was parituclarly effective. The narration really broke up and made my eyes linger for longer on the slow-motion panels, heightening the fear and suspense.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, you mention that you are curious if the author’s experience is typical and his rendering of it is either overdramatized or he himself is hyper-sensitive. But I suppose I find myself resisting that interpretation. Either way it was not a conductive household in which his emotional or physical needs were met. It is not fair or normal for children to live in fear and intimidation constantly, and we can only know what he has written for us. It seems as if he minimizes to a degree, and has left a lot out.
I think the formatting of the text speaks a lot to the way the trauma was manifested. Throughout the whole text we have so many images— many disturbing— yet even in this private, safe space, Small largely does not comment on the events— he merely shows them in flashes. There’s a real lack of agency in his experiences, and a real suppression to even exist and take up space. The book obeyed this notion that I felt in the story that he was not allowed to speak at all, and it is very sad to see, honestly.
I liked how you mentioned the lack of agency, almost like he was looking in on his own life. Excellent phrasing and I really think you hit the nail on the head with that one.
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