I didn't give more than one response option :/ Sorry guys, I guess I'm like David Small's mom in that way.
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| I'd take Ms. Trenchbull over Mrs. Small any day. |
Anywho, we’ve read a lot of graphic
memoirs during the semester. Stitches
is also a memoir, and focuses on childhood. It's a really dark look back at childhood too. Not like Matilda or A Series of Unfortunate Events with sprinkles of humor but dark
like.. Well, I felt like I needed a hug after this one. I think there’s
something to be said about graphic memoirs and their ability to affect the
reader. Small, in Stitches, was able to visually convey a story of silence and internalized
emotions with few words. This memoir is characterized more by what was absent
than what was included. In a later interview Small talks about things he wishes
he would’ve included:
“One of them would have
been the fact that I actually did have friends when I was a teenager. And I
realized this was another instance where if I was going to talk about that the
book was going to grow to 500, 600 pages. I did feel that I had to say
something about it. And I felt I cleverly summed it up in that one page picture
of a party scene. But if I were a reader I guess that would certainly leave all
kinds of questions in my mind. Like, ‘What kind of friends did I have?’
What do you all think? Do
you feel satisfied with bits of David Small’s childhood that we’re getting? Why do you think he chose these vignettes
instead of others? Were there questions that you had about his experiences that
have yet to be answered (or what do you hope to see resolved)? Also, how do you think the absence of information adds, or takes away from the story?
In a nutshell, I thought that this comic was disturbing but in a good way. It shows a sense of realism within the story by how the art is styled. I can't say that I am satisfied with the childhood, probably because it is so dark, but it is nice to see a realistic story. What I hope to see resolved is the relationship between Small and is mother. There may not be one, but I predict that the story will end with something between them. As for the absence of information, we have to keep in mind that this is a story based on his memories and that there will always be bits and pieces that are missing from the story. Even we cannot have a full memory of our childhoods. We'll forget things as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteI feel like trying to make a comic about one’s childhood without making too long – 500, 600 pages as Small says – is hard to accomplish. There are so many people from our pasts that we no longer associate but were important at that time and likely shaped us in ways we aren’t even aware but it would take away from the focus which is generally the family. Something else I’ve noticed not only about Small’s comic but also Bechdel’s is that even their siblings aren’t given a lot of focus either. It may make the book look selfish but generally the relationship with one’s parents as with the case of Small and Bechdel is far more poignant in their past than their siblings. It certainly makes me wonder about the siblings, however, as they had to have some similar experiences as the authors.
ReplyDeleteThe absence of information certainly gives this story a more distant and eerie feeling to it but I think it does well to get across what is important which is the fact that Small’s relationship with his parents is hardly what one would call a relationship as they are so critical and removed from one another. Likely there isn’t much else to say as they all live in the same house but hardly have anything to do with one another. It also shows there are a lot of underlying issues that no one will share and it is likely these issues that keep from any of them being close.
Sometimes the most interesting part of a memoir is the research done before, during, and after reading. This always gives the audience something to contemplate about the author's choices, giving the author more dimension. So far with what we have read, I do not feel that I am missing much information; I will probably feel differently after I finish the novel, but for now I am content. Mostly I just hope I learn more about his parents and grandparents rather than specific vignettes. Also, what will happen with his lump? I can only make assumptions based on the title so far.
ReplyDeleteThe story is very disturbing and yes a hug was needed afterwards. I agree with Traci, I was pretty good on my fill (and maybe too much). There is a hard factor that Small may have forgotten: the audiences’ attention. Yes, the story is his and he should express it the way he desires but if he wants a lesson to be learned there is the factor of making a story too long. Every story is going to have its unanswered questions but if we don’t have questions then that’s another loss of attention from us, the readers. If all the answers were given people could believe them to be false or made up (just like in Persepolis when Satrapi was telling her friends about her uncle and one of the boys believed she was trying too hard).
ReplyDeleteI think Small has presented his readers with the childhood that no one wants to think about but obviously exists, the childhood of an introvert raised by some pretty introverted parents. As far I have read I think he provides just the right amount of information that makes the story intriguing. I think if he shared too much his artistic style and pace would suffer. I like Stitches due to its pace and reliance on imagery over dialogue and text. I can't wait to see what happens next, even though its not looking to be the happiest of stories, still excited.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think "Stitches" presents a satisfying story, I think it could have been more enjoyable if there were some elements of joy every now and then. It was a very dark novel, complimented by the shadowy art work, and it was rather depressing. This is not, in itself, a bad thing. But I personally enjoy a touch of humor in the midst of tragedy, like in Maus or even Persepolis. I think that telling his life in vignettes is an efficient and effective way of showing the important things that he wants to convey while not bogging down the book in too many details. He shows what his life was like without actually showing his entire life, and this succinct storytelling allows for his themes to carry through. These vignettes are certainly very powerful, and I can see why he chose these important events in his life.
ReplyDeleteI suppose I did question whether or not Small ever finds happiness. I am curious as to how this book will end. It doesn't seem like there is much joy in David Small's life, and I am guessing that it will have a slightly ambiguous or sad ending.
I don't notice the absence of information too much. I think that Small is only giving us the information he wants to in order for the proper mood and message to be conveyed through his comic book. Many authors do this in memoirs, picking and choosing from the important things in order to make a specific impression on the reader. I definitely think this in the case of Small, who seems to be looking for sympathy from his readers.
Small explained a very narrow portion of his life. This I enjoy, not getting distracted by something like his future lover, or his social experiences outside his family. It is just that, mainly if not entirely about his life with his family. Which, in my opinion is great! He still gives enough information to show hints of his life outside the story, but maintained a focus which I enjoyed and found pleasing.
ReplyDeleteThe information Small does give us, while lacking in narration, truly embraces the introverted silence "Stitches" covers. While also embracing his lovely artwork. This I prefer, because it definitely makes me feel more. Similar to when you are in an argument with one of your parents and the moment the become silence you feel so much more than the bickering that lead to your parent's silence.
Even though Stitches is mostly dark and depressing, I have enjoyed it. Humor would have been a bit cliché within this graphic novel. Do I think there could have been humor put in the story? Of course! But I don’t think that would be a part of the message Small is trying to convey…it would have been forced rather than flow. The illustrations match perfectly with the content. It is Small’s parents who had a major impact on his life and this is definitely reflected throughout the graphic novel. I also feel as if the lack of details contributes to the dark and depressing feel Small is trying to convey. It makes the reader feel distant, such as he did to his family. The lack of information leaves the reader wondering which could be good or bad. In my opinion, I think too many details would overwhelm the reader instead of the reader wanting to know more and read on. I have enjoyed looking at the illustrations rather than reading the dialogue because I feel as if I am better able to understand the characters through these detailed images.
ReplyDeleteI actually find the snippets in this book to be a very accurate portrayal of his childhood. Yes, it would be interesting to learn more about Small and his family, but it doesn't feel like it is necessary. Moreover, it would, as you observe, quickly become redundant and overwhelming. With stories like this, it's more important to establish the overarching atmosphere and emotional state(s) because those are what will govern everything in the story. That's all Small needed to establish; we can extrapolate from this story and assume that he had an absolutely miserable childhood as a result.
ReplyDeleteLeaving in only what is necessary is also what makes the story readable and, though I hate to say it of such a horrible story, enjoyable. As an amateur genealogist, I often have to remind myself that there is a fine line between fascinating and boring when it comes to memoirs and biographies. We want to know lots about these characters, but if you include every fact of their lives, there's no mystery. We can't make up our own minds about anything. It just becomes a boring, unreadable mess.
I think it's important to understand that Small has a very specific goal in mind in terms of what story he wants to tell. So, he specifically chooses certain vignettes and snapshots of his life to explore, rather than give the book a broader (and perhaps more fair) look at his life. That's one of the concessions that has to be made when you go about translating your life into some sort of adaption: what do you cut, what do you keep? What serves the story? Stitches is a novel about isolation - a subject that is very much universal for everyone in some way - and Small knew he had to keep his tone focused.
ReplyDeleteThere's also something to be said for reigning in the urge to chronicle every bit of your life. Stitches is at times a very disturbing book, and part of the reason why it is so effect in that manner is because it is unyielding in its depiction. I think that's one of the reasons why it's so strong; levity is something that might actually damage the story being told, here.
I’m satisfied with the bits of David Small’s story, even though those bits are bleak so far. I feel that Small has a remarkable capacity to capture and set the tone better than any comic we have read this semester. I believe he chooses these vignettes in particular because they were the ones that he remembered the most, and were probably the moments that had the most significant impact on him. I wouldn’t mind if there were another 300 pages, but I believe that it’s not necessary to understand his personal growth and perspective of the world. I believe the five years gaps add to showing David Small’s growth. These gaps show a significant difference in his level of understanding and how he approaches situations. It might be harder to access without these gaps. It seems that David’s mother and grandmother suffer from some mental illness. I’m wondering how this will play out in the future, and if he will suffer from mental illness.
ReplyDeleteI wholly agree with Chris' post regarding the intentions of true life adaptations. Narrative must be distilled from the breadth of real life in order to be cohesive, both in mere story and thematically. The gaps create a sense of voyeurism as we are granted peaks into the timeline of the narrators memories. Also, as the original poster explains, this is a story of internalization, and thus the gaps augment the narrative to express this.
ReplyDeleteSmall is providing the reader with the information he deems necessary for understanding his story. My favorite trait of "Stitches" is how the author blends actual happenings in his life with his imagination. I think it's safe to assume he was not chased down the empty hospital halls by a fetus. However, this childhood memory (even one that is rooted in such an active imagination) is no less real than the coldness of his parents, the enemas, or his "crazy" grandmother.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe anything is taken away by the omission of certain areas of Small's life. I must say I for one am along for this ride.
I found that the book Stitches was rather creepy and dark for a growing up story. It was rather gothic and although unsettling it was more captivating than Persopholis. At times it was almost difficult to separate the boy's imagination from the actual happenings. The voicelessness of the character was fascinating and terrible to read. The author's ability to work with/ create this world of a silent character on page was wonderful. So much was said without actually being said. It was sad and angry and the silence of the character combined with the parent's silence was gut wrenching. Having a parent not tell a child the truth of a situation is not uncommon, but with an older child like this character being in his early teens, it was an untold truth that should have been spoken of that wasn't that amassed in this silent and terrible world.
ReplyDeleteI definitely could liken this story to 100 demons in the way that neither book seems to prevent silver linings out of each situation. Both of our protagonists have very little support in their home life. Smalls is dealing with physical and verbal abuse while Barry dealt with verbal and very possibly sexual abuse. Neither story seems to take a break from the heartache and assure us that there were good experiences in their lives. A simple read through of either tale would have us questioning how these people made it out. I think that my problem with both tales is that they don't offer much to live for. Neither hero or heroin gave us insight in to how they suffered through or what they held dear. Even the Snickett tales "series of unfortunate events" have some good events added in.
ReplyDeleteI think this was probably a pretty accurate portrayal of how he viewed his childhood and although it was dark and depressing let's face it... not everyone grows up in the Cleaver family. I think that a lot of authors try to include humor in their works to take the edge off of some of the heavy and dark issues they are exploring but Small didn't feel the need to do that and I respect him for his decision. His decision to provide snapshots of his life is just another artistic choice. He may have felt the book had more umph this way. Overall, I think he did a great job of depicting events that for me personally would have been pretty crushing.
ReplyDelete