This week we are discussing Blankets by Craig Thompson, Ch. 7-9
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Blankets by Craig Thompson.
Trigger/Content Warning!!! This book has scenes and discussion of such themes as: domestic abuse, sexual assault, divorce, nudity, homophobia, bullying/harassment, childhood traumas, and religious trauma.
Discussion:
Michaela: Hello friends and welcome to our final discussion of Blankets by Craig Thompson. This book did not end how I thought it would but it’s also an autobiography of sorts so it really doesn’t have an end which makes the ending actually kind of hopeful for me. There was a lot of growth in these last chapters and that was really nice to read about. I definitely liked this last chunk of the book a lot more than the beginning.
Jacilyn: I also enjoyed the last part of the book a lot more than the rest of the book. It’s not that this is a bad book, but reading it hasn’t exactly been an enjoyable experience for me. I liked that this part of the book focused on Craig stepping away from Raina and realizing that they can’t have a healthy relationship. I think Raina knew that too - their lives weren’t compatible; she has all of this responsibility and their trajectories just weren’t the same. Although I think they both hoped that they could make it work there for a while, having those last meaningful experiences with each other before it was time for Craig to leave.
Michaela: I’m glad they had that time together. Raina’s change of heart felt kind of sudden to me but who knows how much time really passed at that point. On one level I can understand where she was coming from but on the other it also felt a little like she used Craig a little on this trip. Not that she didn’t have feelings for him. At the same time I felt that Craig had this ‘manic-pixie-dream-girl’ kind of vision of who Raina was which isn’t realistic or fair to Raina. It felt very much like a realistic teenage relationship, Thompson did a great job showing that. I thought a lot of this last part of the book showed realistic relationships and growth, in artwork and in storytelling. I particularly loved the shipwreck and tea party artwork. The way Thompson combines the real world of the bed with the kid imagination of sharks and party guests was beautiful. Also the noises and spirits artwork just after that was absolutely gorgeous. A wonderful representation of sound, especially considering it's only in black and white. That just makes it even better. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen such a detailed piece of art representing sound. Definitely my favorite bit of artwork from this graphic novel.
Jacilyn: I agree, those were my favorite illustrations from the book as well. I think they both had unhealthy expectations towards each other, but Raina was able to stay friends while Craig couldn’t handle it. I think it was clear that he needed the distance from all of those parts of his life…. The people at the church telling him that going to art school was going to turn him into some sort of sinful creature (hello, homophobia!) was ridiculous, and I’m glad that he didn’t let them convince him to stay put in that little town.
I was glad to see that Craig started to see the hypocrisy in the Bible and be true to his beliefs. I’m also glad that he had Phil to be open with about those changes, even though he couldn’t be honest with his parents. It felt like Craig was able to move away and become his own person, and visiting for things like Phil’s wedding just brought him a sense of comfort instead of sadness. Even sleeping with Raina’s blanket and thinking about the memories with her seemed to be comforting to him. When reading this part, I honestly felt comforted. The falling snow as he took his walk felt familiar.
Michaela: It’s totally fair that Craig couldn’t handle it. It’s okay to separate yourself from things like that and I’m proud of him for having the courage to do that. A lot of people would have kept suffering just to be nice or because they thought they wanted it. It was a very mature decision. I think on some level it was the beginning of him realizing he could have space from things that weren’t healthy or comfortable for him.
The people at his church talking about how they think art school leads to pornography which leads to homosexuality which is just the worst apparently. What even? So much homophobia. Then the disgust about the life drawings because it involves naked models while in the foreground of one of the next frames the same two people were exchanging phone numbers. The hypocrisy involving sin is insane here and again incredibly realistic representation of people who are like this. Don’t let anyone like that convince you something is bad for you when they don’t know what they’re talking about or when they’re coming from a headspace of hate.
I was relieved to learn that Craig moved out after his 20th birthday. He really needed that space and time to get to know himself without all the familial and religious influences. I think Craig really started to bloom into his awkward self during that time. It also seemed that Phil got the chance to do the same thing and I absolutely love that his wife is a geologist. AND they got married in a museum with dinosaur bones surrounding them. Felt like a kind of middle finger to the religious upbringing, it might not have been what they were going for of course but it fills me with joy anyways.
I thoroughly enjoyed that this book ended with a walk in the snow after Christmas dinner. It felt incredibly familiar. It’s not always plausible or healthy for someone to discuss their religious beliefs or lack of beliefs with family. So it felt right that Craig was keeping it to himself for now. Also, the vulnerability he felt when visiting home felt really familiar and comforting to know that someone else can put into words and art what that feeling is. I don’t have a highschool building (it was torn down) or ‘childhood’ home to visit (because I moved so much) but just visiting family and that hometown area gives me that same feeling of vulnerability. It’s sadness and comfort at the same time and Thompson captured that beautifully.
Jacilyn: You’re totally right about that feeling of vulnerability. I hadn’t realized what that feeling was until you put that word to it. The ending felt vulnerable and comfortable and vaguely sad in a nostalgic way. I particularly liked the frames showing Craig and Phil’s wife chatting away - I’m so glad that Craig didn’t lose that closeness with his brother over time.
And that is it, folks, we have finally finished Blankets. This was our first graphic novel, but it definitely won’t be our last. We want to experience some other art styles and storylines, so look forward to more of that in the future! Until next time, readers.
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