Stitches (Part 1): Topics for Discussion
[Respond to your favorite(s)]
1) The thing that struck me most about Stitches on a first read through
was how esoteric the characters were. Small doesn’t appear to spend a lot of
time providing a lot of details about the interior lives of the characters,
with the possible exception of the protagonist (himself as a child). After
thinking about it and reading it again, I’m now of the opinion that the
characters in Stitches do get a lot of treatment, but that treatment is very
subtle. Small is using the details of facial expressions and gestures to tell
us a lot about the different characters in the story, especially his parents.
This sort of approach is a very interesting one for a comic and
presents some questions about the medium itself. In prose, the interior life of
characters can be included seamlessly into the narrative because the author can
express thoughts and feelings of the characters that don’t necessarily have a
visual manifestation. In a comic however, there always has to some kind of
visual image on the page, which means that these strategies can’t be directly
translated from prose writing. While comics are far more participatory than,
for example, film, they are also far less participatory than prose.
How does David Small convey the interior life of the characters in Stitches by using the tools available to him in the medium of comics? Is comics limiting in terms of being able to convey complex interior thoughts and feelings? How does Stitches expose or transcend these potential limitations?
2) Stitches is the first comic we’ve read this semester that employs
the convention of onomatopoetic words in order to create auditory illusions for
the reader. This convention has a lot of stigma attached to it, especially in superhero
comics (BAM! POW!!!!) That stigma makes it unsurprising that it did not show up
in the other comics works we read which definitely try to be ‘taken more
seriously’. However, Small chooses to employ it here in a very serious, very
realistic story.
3) Because of both the biographical facts of Small's life as well as the themes he is trying to construct, Stitches features several scenes that depict verbal, emotional, and physical abuse. The scene between David and his grandmother stands out in particular among the first half of the book as a very pointed example. On my first read-through this scene was definitely surprising and disturbing, especially because of the fluid narrative style Small employs. There’s a moment that happens a few panels into the act where you realize: ‘Oh. This is actually happening.’
What techniques of comics storytelling is Small utilizing to depict potentially disturbing scenes of abuse in a way that is affecting without being melodramatic? How did the medium of comics affect your reading of these scenes as opposed to similar scenes in, say, film or prose?
I thought the way he portrayed the emotions of the characters was incredibly powerful. It is hard, especially when it's a story where we only explicitly get the interior lives of just one character, but I certainly didn't think small let the comics medium impede that. There certainly is something to be said for the fact that sometimes saying less shows more, as well as actions speaking louder than words. So much of the book had no dialogue (oops, may have read it all, so I'll try to be careful not to say any spoilers), yet that didn't take away any of its power.
ReplyDeleteI think so much of the scene where his mother brought him the book from the gift store. Sure, it was explicitly explained later on. But in her silence and from her actions and priorities, we knew her really well, which showed how big this action was. I definitely think this was a prime example of at least somewhat getting to see some of her inner turmoil (or annoyance) at the situation.
Going into the onomatopoeic topic, it is a very interesting note how much more focus sound is given. Again, it comes back to voice, which I think is probably one of the main themes of the book. It makes me think about how little voice Small had, and in contrast to the way that the sounds that some of the actions make in this story are given a voice, it gives them power. It shows that the actions someone makes are more than just DOING something, but they're also making a statement.
This scene with the grandmother was SO interesting to me. Dead silence, even though the action that's happening (he's being dragged up the stairs) is a very loud action. We see the struggle, but in terms of noise, we're in a vacuum. And it happens so very slow. In movies, scenes showing forms of abuse are generally really quick, and you can usually hear it. I don't think the absence of sound in this scene really took anything away from it though, in fact, I'd say it even adds to the slowing down of the scene. And I'm sure that in reality, when this happened, it was very loud, and happened much faster than it feels when put down on the page in panels like this. It really makes each moment and the awfulness of what's stick out as you see him flailing and the expressions on his face.
I think the way that the characters were portrayed in this comic was very powerful. The detail on the emotions and dialogue is something unlike I have ever seen before. I'll admit it looks a bit disturbing, but the shading and style is completely unique. This transcends beyond the boundaries of any comic, thus making it a best seller.
ReplyDeleteThe role of sound just plays the common purpose of sound within comics. they exist so that the comic can seem more realistic as the story continues. Without it, the comic would just be boring and emotionless.
While many of the scenes are disturbing both in visuals and story, the pace of the story seems to subtle the melodrama within. In films, abuse is often quick, giving the viewer least time to think. But in this comic, abuse is slowed down and the reader can actually draw conclusions as to why it is happening. Comics and graphic novels often move at a slow pace so that the reader can enhance his opinion on the subject.
A lot of the onomatopoeias seem to emphasize the silence of the panels as generally they aren’t accompanied by any dialogue between the characters. This is a family much like Alison Bechdel’s in which no one really communicates with one another and when they do it’s generally tense or an attack on another person. Not only does it emphasize the family relationship but I feel like they add a more realistic feel to the comic. I can understand that artists are cautious about using onomatopoeias due the stigma but like anything else if they are used correctly like Small has done then they can really add to the medium rather than detract from it or somehow make one’s work look less serious than they intend it to be.
ReplyDeleteThe silent panels have got to be one of my favorite parts about this graphic novel. Unfortunately and fortunately, the graphic novel I got was used, and has an extensive amount of writing in it, usually littering the blank pages. I both love and hate this. It's annoying at times, because it takes away from the weight of the silence. Silence in comic books is incredibly powerful, because it strips away every other meaning from the panel except for the image, and it really lets the image shine. Good dialogue can do this too, but I think silence is the best way to do this. Small uses this a lot in the story, and it's always really compelling. I do love the writing in the sides of the book though, because it helps me get deeper meaning out of what some of the silences are all about. These panels are what he uses to exhibit the things he can't bring to words, to bring a level of intensity that words cannot deliver, and to just pull us in to experiencing what he's experiencing.
ReplyDeleteI like the onomatopoeias, which I'll henceforth refer to as onos. The onos I think help pull us into the story even more by "creating the sound", which is a bit obvious. But I really do feel these help. I find them to be more of an overall enhancement to what we are seeing, reading, and feeling.
I'm going to address question number three. I love Small's use of a kind of montage of images of the abuse he faces from his grandmother. It conveys a real type of memory we all have of our childhood: something tragic or impressionistic happens in our lives and we remember it in pieces, certain aspects of it pop out but we rarely remember the entire thing as a fluid scene. He probably remembers being pulled off the chair, getting rug burn, his grandmother's face, and being swung onto the stairs, but most likely does not remember the entire scene. He also uses sound (addressing question two quickly) as a way to show certain memories. The use of sound is interesting because he probably remembers very specifically what that slap felt like or what it sounded like being dragged up the stairs with his limbs hitting each step. Prose can paint a picture but cannot perhaps show the audience how his body moved and twisted as he was dragged. Film could do this but just with a different feeling and effect.
ReplyDeleteWith the use of the medium he creates these images that convey so much emotion because, I don’t know about other people, I’ve had similar images in my head before. Not about the same emotions but the thoughts and it’s hard to explain to people what is going through your head and so much easier to show. In a way, it’s a psychological connection that Small’s is creating with his readers.
ReplyDeleteUse of sound in Stitches is just like any other comic that includes a “sound”.
I think in the situation of prose comics can out do any narrative writing. Small demonstrates this in Stitches when he illustrates his own escapist thoughts that collide with reality, i.e the falling into the paper, his characters coming to life, the fetus coming to life. All these are prose of David, his inter working and thoughts. Kids are bound to have an over active imagination, so I'm interested to see how David's thoughts evolve as he ages and whether Small will still illustrate so literally or go more into abstraction.
ReplyDeleteI think that the role of sound in Stitches is vital. It is especially powerful in the scenes where he is abused by his grandmother. The silence adds to this horrifying moment where, it would seem, Small's world goes silent and he cannot escape the pain. I even thought of these panels as not happening in the moment, but merely in Small's memory, where the visuals are very profound, but the sound is quite faint. He sees these memories, but does not hear them. I think that the silent panels are rather haunting, and allows the reader to focus mostly on the visuals presented in order to get a better grip on what is going on in the story. Small's illustrations do a lot of the talking in terms of the thematic elements, the plot, and the emotional appeal of the novel. By not clogging up the panels with too many sound effects, he is able to convey this story quite well.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I do not think of the onomatopoeiasas a crutch. I think they still add a lot to the story in their own way. The sound effects allow the reader to feel the realism in the more abstractly illustrated panels. But they also set up a contrast with the silent panels. Even when we know we should be hearing something in some of these silent panels, we don't, and it is precisely because we don't see the sound effects like we do in some of the other panels.
David Small embraces the idea, or the lacking of sound. What is great about this is that one of the perfect environment for this is comics! It allows a viewer to follow the story without being bogged down by lengthy narration, or long silent movies that seem to drag on for ever. It places a high attention to detail, and allows for a viewer to follow and a pace unlike a movie or book would offer. Small opens a realm of story telling that takes into account more than just the actual story and its social context, but a physical/sensory atmosphere to enhance and embrace the story.
ReplyDeleteI like that Small uses artwork without sound or narration to show the internal life of the characters. David's internal life is the most apparent, with him often escaping into drawings and dreams that show his inner monologue. But we get glimpses of the lives of the other characters as well. Most of his family is drawn as being very stony faced, yet they all have eyes that seem to bore into you. You can tell by their expression that their eyes are like a dam, holding so much in, yet the leaks are few and far between.
ReplyDeleteThe role of sound is equally fascinating because it is so conspicuously absent. Many of the panels are so harrowing and detailed in their artwork that sound would only be redundant. But I think Small left out most sound for a more subtle reason, and that is the way in which he remembers things. His childhood was clearly a cold and abusive one, and as such, we can expect him to remember visuals above all else. The few sounds present are precisely the ones we would expect him to remember, such as being brutally slapped.
Stitches is a novel where silence speaks volumes, and when sound does occur it does so with incredible power. It's a really intelligent, measured way of exploring emotional response through a medium that has certain limitations. Part of what makes the use of sound (or lack thereof) in Stitches so effective is that it's quite easy to forget that you aren't hearing things - until you do. Small clearly understands the power behind how you convey sensory information in a graphic novel format, and he uses that to great effect throughout his novel.
ReplyDeleteAnd look, the fact of the matter is that silence can be just as loud as somebody shouting at the tops of their lungs. And for abuse victims - especially children who are stuck in a situation of continual abuse - silence becomes a kind of foundational block for their world. In that regard, I think the absence of a voice at times really speaks to the way that abuse steals one's ability to express him or herself. Instead of being a fully fleshed-out person, you become a shade of sorts, stuck in a kind of emotional limbo.
Sound plays an important role in the Small family because it’s the only way that they communicate with one another. It is often noted in the story that the family hardly ever talks to one another. The mother vents her frustration of being unsatisfied through slamming the cabinets. The father retreats from the situation altogether with the squealing of his tires. David’s older brother also vents through banging on the drums that can be a tool to annoy everyone.
ReplyDeleteThe silent panels help the reader to get a feel for David’s internal life. I’m not surprised that the story doesn’t include much of the internal lives of the other family members because it is unknown. If the story did include such detail about the other characters, it would be assumptions that the author made. David can accurately map his internal life better than anyone else, and the same is true of everybody. No one knows you better than you know you. Since conversations don’t play a huge role in David’s life, it becomes imperative that he express himself through his art.
I don’t see the onomatopoeias as a crutch because it is a tool in the medium of comics, so why not take advantage of it. I don’t believe it takes away anything from the story, but adds emphasis on how important sounds were in his family.
If silence is how the Small family communicates, than sound is used to show the utter failure of the family's lack to verbalize. Eery sound from the slamming of a cabinet door to the smack across the face, works in the graphic novel to pierce through the silence. I like the use of onomatopoeic devices here because they are so embedded in comic books. We often see panels where colorful super heroes punch, jab, kick, or zap a bad guy complimented with an obligatory onomatopoeia. In "Stitches" there is nothing heroic about hitting a child. Small uses a staple of the medium to great and ironic effect.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you drew the connection between super hero comic books and parental abuse. There is definitely not anything heroic about the act and the choice to add these effects mimics the style while slowly degrading the integrity of his grandmother.
DeleteIn some ways I feel like these added sound effects are really a truer interpretation of the feelings of the characters. There is not really an open atmosphere in the Small family, they dont really discuss their feelings and emotions. However we get a small glimpse into their inner psyche when they are choosing to slam doors and cabinets shut instead of simply shutting them. They are also quick to resort to violence. Small is able to take the edge off of the situation by not making it overly dramatized. This is not to say that the scenes aren't shocking because some are.
ReplyDelete