Edit + Repost - W15 (Comics as Contemporary Lit.)

I chose to read My Favorite Thing is Monsters this week. This is an intricate graphic novel that takes the form of the main character, Karen's, notebook/ journal. It seemed as if I was reading through a record of a child's dark and disturbing thoughts and dreams, and am seeing the world through Karen's eyes. This graphic novel could be seen as a part of contemporary literature because the work could be seen as a commentary  on several issues like identity, society, and mental health. We see how Karen views the world through some strange events, and how the reader realizes that most of the circumstances have been conjured through Karen's imagination or dreams, yet is still convinced of her imaginary idea even though she gets a glimpse of reality.

The illustrations in this novel are incredibly intricate and are vivid depictions of Karen's maybe inward demons. At first glance, the novel looks like the dark doodles of an adolescent, but begins to seem more like a journal of memories of the struggle with identity and how one interacts and interprets society. Aspects of this story could also be symbolic with the overarching idea of monsters, which could be symbolic for depression or "the beast within" that is capable of wrecking all our lives and making everything seem grim. The narrative acts as a self-reflection and even a reflection on the world around, that can seem so absurd most of the time. In a way, I can relate to Karen when horrible things start happening around me, and I feel that pressure starting to build up in my head like my emotions are trying to claw their way out. I think this is such an important piece of literature because it can be interpreted in so many different ways and can be related to be anyone.