Week 11: Contemporary Graphic Literature
The Tale of One Bad Rat is a four volume series by Bryan Talbot centering on a young woman and her history as a victim of child abuse. From the class resources, I was only able to access Volumes 1 and 4 of this series, but between these two as well as outside research on Volumes 2 and 3, I have been able to fill in the blanks of the middle of the series.
This is an excellent example of a comic serving as contemporary literature. The comic focuses on a variety of heavy topics, and does so in a tasteful and poignant way, and is often emotionally hitting. It tells a story of a young woman growing and finding herself despite a life of hardship, mental problems, suicidal thoughts, and the world seeming to be against her. The comic doesn't shy away from gritty topics and problems, and instead shows things as they are in the protagonist's reality. Ultimately she is able to "forgive" herself for her history of abuse, realizing that she was never at fault in the first place, and finds the strength to confront her father for molesting her. There are many references and parallels to Beatrix Potter throughout the series. The life of Beatrix Potter and her stories are a source of comfort and inspiration to her (the protagonist's name is Helen Potter -- Helen was Beatrix Potter's first name, creating a direct parallel between the two). All of this cultivates a highly effective and impactful story that anybody would acknowledge as successful contemporary literature.
In terms of elements of the comic itself, the style of illustration is fairly simple and straightforward; the characters and their surroundings are drawn fairly realistically and and with flat color. This helps to keep the focus more on the narration, dialogue and story rather than visual aspects. However, the way the panels are laid out are often visually effective and make certain moments more impactful -- like filling the gutters with black instead of white, or making certain panels more prominent to highlight a specific moment in time.
Thematically, the comic successfully tackles serious subjects like physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, mental health, and suicide in a way that is so honestly represented that it is sometimes difficult to read. Overall, especially with the closure that comes with the ending of Volume 4, the series makes Helen's character arc and growth very gratifying, and is overall an impactful and satisfying read.
This is an excellent example of a comic serving as contemporary literature. The comic focuses on a variety of heavy topics, and does so in a tasteful and poignant way, and is often emotionally hitting. It tells a story of a young woman growing and finding herself despite a life of hardship, mental problems, suicidal thoughts, and the world seeming to be against her. The comic doesn't shy away from gritty topics and problems, and instead shows things as they are in the protagonist's reality. Ultimately she is able to "forgive" herself for her history of abuse, realizing that she was never at fault in the first place, and finds the strength to confront her father for molesting her. There are many references and parallels to Beatrix Potter throughout the series. The life of Beatrix Potter and her stories are a source of comfort and inspiration to her (the protagonist's name is Helen Potter -- Helen was Beatrix Potter's first name, creating a direct parallel between the two). All of this cultivates a highly effective and impactful story that anybody would acknowledge as successful contemporary literature.
In terms of elements of the comic itself, the style of illustration is fairly simple and straightforward; the characters and their surroundings are drawn fairly realistically and and with flat color. This helps to keep the focus more on the narration, dialogue and story rather than visual aspects. However, the way the panels are laid out are often visually effective and make certain moments more impactful -- like filling the gutters with black instead of white, or making certain panels more prominent to highlight a specific moment in time.
Thematically, the comic successfully tackles serious subjects like physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, mental health, and suicide in a way that is so honestly represented that it is sometimes difficult to read. Overall, especially with the closure that comes with the ending of Volume 4, the series makes Helen's character arc and growth very gratifying, and is overall an impactful and satisfying read.
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