Personally I don’t think I can relate to this
graphic memoir as it was written in a dark time in which both mother and
daughter were trying to escape. But I think that it can relate to the diary of
Anne Frank, both books are written in a Childs perspective although Anne was in
hiding she was also Jewish and she lived in the time of the war. While I read
the Diary of Anne Frank I also felt scared for her and sorry for what Anne and
her family had went through where as I had the same feelings while reading
Miriams graphic memoir as well. I think that it was book a very dark and scared
time for both of the girls and maybe while being a female myself although I have
never gone through a dark time such as this, sometimes you have to grow up
faster and be more mature than you should be as a child. It makes me think that
I have a great life and I should be thankful for the family and the life that I
live seeing as others don’t have the little things that maybe I take for
granted and that we should appreciate the little things in our lives as well because
sometimes those around us don’t have the smalls things that we have. Life can
be made up of many words and images and each and every one of our lives and the
people around us is different.
This was a very powerful memoir that aided in a lot of different connections for each author. There is always something to relate. I find myself really looking at the mothers vs daughter perspective about them dealing with different issues. A mothers role (or any parent) tries to conceal and mask the dangers and fears from their little ones. As children mature and grow older, you find that the world is full of responsibilities and hardships. Not that you need to dwell on certain negative insights but it gets harder. Even from the perspective of owning a car. The responsibility of paying for repairs, insurance and the car alone is masked by your parents. You don't need that responsibility at a young age or the hardship of working hard for necessities. In the book, the little girl doesn't fully understand why they leave her little dog. Her mom masks the pain of euthanasia from her daughter. I look back and thank my parents for masking the hardships of my life so that I can grow up happy and well mannered.
ReplyDeleteHere is a journal article that talks about how families cope with poverty and economic stress.
Institute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) Committee on the Science of Research on Families; Olson S, editor. Toward an Integrated Science of Research on Families: Workshop Report. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2011. 3, Studying How Families Cope with Poverty and Economic Stress: The Role of Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56257/
Hey Lex and Jess,
ReplyDeleteFor sure, we cant relate to running for our lives, and sacrificing values and morals for the sake of survival. But it goes to show that traumatic events stay with you for life. They shape your thoughts, your feelings and your actions. A deep moment for me in this memoir is when Miriam and her daughter are in present time and Miriam asks something along the lines of "do you remember that time in the snow" - referring to when they ran through the snowstorm away from the guards. To me, that truly showed a moment of loneliness that the characters felt, and that something that should be beautiful and magical, like snowfall, triggered such a horrifying memory for Miriam, but like Lex said, that was not the case for the daughter. Because of her mother's sacrifice, her experiences in present life aren't totally spoiled by memories from the war. We learn what it means to be a parent, and all the hard times we suffer through with the economy and politics are all apart of paving the road for a better future for generations to come.
Here is a great link on women responsible for great landmarks in history!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristen-houghton/how-to-thank-women_b_1187375.html