research paper supports

"Through his 'artistic creativity' man appears more than ever 'in the image of God,' and he accomplishes this task above all in shaping the wondrous 'material' of his own humanity and then exercising creative dominion over the universe which surrounds him.  With loving regard, the divine artist passes on to the human artist a spark of his own surpassing wisdom, calling him to share in his creative power"  (John Paul II qtd. in Art, wonder and the Religious Dimension of the Child 1).

I will be using the above quote to give another perspective to Thompson's  perceived lack of support from his church for his artistic endeavors.  I would like to show that, while he certainly encountered people who were obstacles to his creativity, they don't necessarily represent the church, and  certainly not God Himself, the ultimate creator. 

"...religious adolescents report consistently higher numbers of developmental assets associated with increased restraint and decreased risk behavior. Furrow and Wagener join a long list of scholars who have found an association between religious perception and religious participation and reduced engagement in risk behaviors ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to juvenile delinquency." 

I will probably use the above quote when presenting Thompson's experience at church camp when many of his peers were participating in drug use.  Again, certainly adolescents participate in risky behaviors, but statistics show that religious involvement lowers this risk dramatically. 

I think "Blankets" did a great job of showing the negative outcomes of feeling oppressed by religion, but it is certainly not the whole picture.  Thompson may not even be aware of the positive effects his Christianity has had on his life.

"Disengagement does not imply conflict with the family, but a normal process of developmental growth and response to opportunities and "pulls" for adolescent experiences outside the family.  This is an age of testing one's identity  and experimenting with boundaries.  Yet, many young adults have and probably will continue to come back to religion."

I will use parts or all of this quote when addressing the end of Thompson's book, when he reaches young adulthood and decides that he can no longer embrace his parent's religion.  I will present that this "distancing" yourself from your parents is a normal process of growing up.  Also, most people brought up religiously return to some sort of spirituality as adults.

Notes to self:

**Include interesting information from Wiki on the term "coming of age".  (define the age, and the process)

discuss risk factors:  smoking, alcohol use, truancy, sexual activity, depression.

Maus II

In "Maus II", Spiegelman makes it apparent that his father, Vladek, has trouble dealing with even the smallest issues of life.  On page 90, the second panel shows Art and his wife discussing Vladek's survival of the Holocaust:  "It's a miracle he survived.....In some ways he didn't survive."  The author almost questions the purposefulness of living through the Holocaust if your life is hell afterwards.

I find it also interesting that the first panel on page 90 has Lucia saying "I'd rather kill myself than live through all that".  When in fact, Art's mother DID kill herself!  She physically survived the Holocaust, but mentally, died in the concentration camps.  Is the author questioning what it means to "survive"?  

"Maus" article

After viewing the many "Maus" related sites, I was especially moved by one showing a timeline of events in Europe during the 1930's.  Slowly but surely, everything was taken from the Jews.  First, their entertainment, then their education, their ability to create art and music, their housing, their food, and eventually, their lives.  This particular web site was powerful in the way it gave the viewer insight into the desperation the jews must have felt.

Maus I

After reading Art Spiegelman's "Maus", I questioned why the author would include so much personal information about his relationship with his father. At times, it seemed to be the central narrative, even more than the Holocaust story itself. This seemed especially thought provoking since Spiegelman made it apparent that his father didn't necessarily approve of the public knowing so many intimate details. (".....it has nothing to do with Hitler, with the Holocaust!" p.23)
From the first pages of the book, Spiegelman makes the tension between him and his father very apparent: "I hadn't seen him in a long time - we weren't that close" (p.11). The beginning text and panels immediately tell us about the author's strained relationship with his father, Vladek, about his mother's suicide, and the tension between Vladek and his new wife, Mala. Why does Spiegelman include so much personal information that seems to have nothing to do with the central narrative of Vladek's survival of the Holocaust?
After reading the book in its entirety, I realize that one story cannot be told without the other. They are completely woven together by the influence that the Holocaust had on Vladek, his family, his relationships, and even the next generation.