Grown-Up Child
As we finished this graphic novel, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed at the short and hasty ending. It could be intentional, possibly representing how quickly life moves, while the past lingers longer. Thi Bui reflected on all of the memories, of the past, her parents past, and her past, before shaping them into the beginning of her motherhood. On page 312, Bui claims that the first week of parenting was “the hardest week of my life”, and that she felt “called upon to be heroic”. This is parallel to chapter seven, Heroes and Losers, where we saw Bo portrayed in a heroic light, different from our first impression of him as a father. The panel blended the each of the three characters’ moment of heroism, demonstrating that after becoming a parent, the instinct to keep your child alive is intense: enough to give them your life. Similarly, on page 317 acknowledges her start of parenthood and realizes that she is not at the center of the universe. The panels depicting an image of the solar system are separated, with the sun on the same panel as child and “I” on the outer orbit. Bui illustrates how as we grow older we shift to the outer ring, while the new generation becomes our universe, our center, our life.
“But being a child, even a grown-up one, seems to me to be a lifetime pass for selfishness.”
To me, this line truly holds the idea that our parents were once us; they had, and still have their own life. Bui will become a kid again with her parents, and a mother with her own family. But no matter how old we get, in our parents’ eyes we will always be their little kid, their universe.
I like how you noticed the parallels! I love how Bui incorporates many parallels between chapters, and I didn’t notice this when I first read the book. The way you described the new generation becoming the center of our universe was also very impactful. I didn’t know what to make of that panel when I first read that chapter, but I love your interpretation of it. I definitely agree that the ending felt a little rushed, especially since we quickly shifted into Bui and her own son’s upbringing within a single chapter. Your analysis was very well-written, I liked your blog :)
ReplyDeleteI like how I watched you write all of this on your phone 💀 in the car 💀. I really liked how you connected the ending to the idea of shifting centers. I also liked your last line, so relateable. I suppose it is true that in our parents eyes, we will always be their little kid.
ReplyDeletedid you write this on your phone in the car
ReplyDeleteI like how I witnessed your whole writing process on your phone, in the car 🤷♀️I really appreciate that you pointed out these parallelism that I never thought of before, and I love your analysis on that panel with the separated solar system, how people “shift to the outer ring” as they find the new center of their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe parallelism you noted about being heroic was an excellent way to prove the responsibility and duty that comes to you after being a parent, and the last line you wrote about how we will always be their universe and little kid in our parents eyes connected very well to the solar system image.
ReplyDeleteI liked the parallelism you noted about being heroic to prove the responsibility ad duty that comes after being a parent.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the last paragraph of your blog. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we will always be our parents little kid. As silly as it sounds, it serves a reminder to always be kind and understanding to our parents.
ReplyDelete