In the graphic novels Spinning by Tillie Walden and Stitches by David Small, the authors reflect on their struggles as an adolescent, and in doing so captivates the reader and offers relatability. On page 93 of Stitches, there are five panels that display David’s grandmother taking control of David’s body, and forcing his hands under scalding water. The repeated image throughout the panels is the grandmother’s strong grip of David’s flailing arms, signifying the power dynamic between David and his grandmother. Similarly, on page 297 of Spinning, Tillie is illustrated struggling under the strong grasp of her tutor. Tillie appears to have no control over her own body, and is subject to a violent assault from her tutor. Both of these scenes stuck with me as the reader, provoking emotions of sympathy for the authors and anger towards the perpetrator. The drastic size differences between David and his grandmother, and Tillie and her tutor, illustrates the authors as helpless victims. These powerful illustrations may make the reader uncomfortable, yet this discomfort is memorable and may even captivate the reader.

Overall, Spinning had significantly more text than Stitches, which was one of the biggest differences that I noticed between between the two graphic novels. On page 297 of Spinning, two of the four panels are solely text, while the remaining two portray Tillie’s struggle to fight back her tutor. In contrast, on page 93 of Stitches, there is only dialogue in one of the panels, and it comes from David’s grandmother. In addition to the the dialogue, however, there is the sound effect “sssss” that appears in three out of the five panels to imitate the sound of the hot water seeping from the faucet. David Small uses more dialogue and sound effects throughout his novel, as opposed to Tillie Walden who consistently utilizes narration in order to tell her story. While Walden’s illustrates were descriptive and powerful, her narration was the more significant aspect of her storytelling. In contrast, Small included less narration and utilized his illustrations to leave the reader to interpret his story. Oftentimes, Small would have an extensive number of pages with solely illustrations, and no text or dialogue. These two different styles of presenting information alters the way the reader interprets the story.

The graphic novels Stitches by David Small and Spinning by Tillie Walden both tackle difficult topics but with different storytelling styles, therefore the impact on the reader may vary depending on the reader’s preference and interpretation. The combination of the illustrations, dialogue, and narration has a more dramatic impact on the reader as opposed to a regular novel. The reader can sympathize more with the author, as graphic novels oftentimes feel more interactive. Hillary Chute discusses the evolution of comics in her essay “Comics for Grownups?”, and touches upon a comic’s ability to navigate deep topics. She indicates that “comics could tackle head-on what most would consider the realm of the absolutely interior and private”, in a way that regular novels may not (Chute 15). Comics have the ability to approach these topics in a multitude of ways, with different illustrative style, spacing, dialogue, or the input of sound effects. Different readers will have different preferences regarding the style of storytelling, and sometimes the comics “can feel less directive and linear than reading most prose narrative”(Chute 21). There are limitless options for presenting a storyline in comics, which allows the authors to use their creativity to captivate readers in nonconventional ways. While these two graphic novels utilize different styles to reach their audience, both are effective in communicating the story of their struggles throughout adolescence.

Works Cited:

Chute, Hillary. Comics for Grownups?, New York: Harper, 2017, reserves.library.emory.edu/Shib/ares.dll?Action=10&Type=14&Value=16615E21.

My aunt and I dancing at her wedding

Up until the seventh grade, English was my favorite subject. When I took biology for the first time in seventh grade, I fell in love with learning about the physiology of the human body. English still captivated me, and I continued to challenge myself throughout high school with AP English classes. While I enjoyed all of my English classes, the ones that specialized in creative writing drew me in more than anything else. I loved utilizing my imagination to craft stories, and for a brief period in middle school I wrote short stories for fun. My inspiration oftentimes emerged from my love for reading fictional novels. I still love to read in my free time, and the immense number of books I read when I was younger benefitted and expanded my vocabulary. As I grew older, writing was my outlet to tackle all the emotions I did not know how to deal with as an adolescent. I used to keep a green leather poetry book in my nightstand. On my restless nights where sleep escaped me, I would open my poetry book and furiously transfer the words in my head to the page. The whirlwind of thoughts dispensing from the pen and its scratch against the paper would lull me to sleep within a matter of minutes. While my phase of poetry writing slowly perished, I continued to use writing as a resource for times of distress. My first break-up occurring in my junior year of high school snuck up behind me and knocked me out. In the midst of the messy ending, I sobbed for weeks on end; physically unable to eat, sleep, or function. I desperately needed closure, which he was unwilling to provide. I sent him paragraph after paragraph, with no response in return. I realized my desperation was only pushing him away further, and that I needed to find closure on my own. I resorted to journaling. Every time I wanted to text, call, or reach out, I would write everything I wanted to say to him in my journal. The more I wrote, the better I felt. Eventually, I no longer depended on my journal or felt suffocated by the urge to reach out. Without utilizing writing as an outlet, I am unsure as to whether or not I would have made it through. 

While I grew up with a natural passion for reading and writing, my brothers struggled with finding the same motivation to read and write. Over the past couple of summers, my mother hired me to tutor them in basic reading comprehension, grammar, and writing. I had the opportunity to do what I loved, and make a profit. Conducting these lessons contorted my vision as a writer, due to the fact that I had the lens of an instructor rather than a student. Creating the lesson plans and teaching my brothers led me to plunge further into the details of the language, and fine tune my own writing in the process. The process gave me awareness of the hidden errors in my writing: teaching grammar resulted in a closer analysis of my own. My writing has evolved throughout the years, yet my imagination remains consistent over the course of the journey.

I was recruited to Emory to play basketball, so I decided to pick a photo of me holding a basketball for my avatar. I have been playing basketball since I was in kindergarten, and have dedicated the majority of my time to the sport. With basketball I have experienced my best and worst memories; it is a large part of my identity. I used a photo editing app to make my photo appear more like a cartoon, and to put my name at the bottom.