Photo courtesy of paperkeg.com
Content Warning for the graphic novel Ghost World: Cursing, Pedophilia, Anti-Semitic Comments, Homophobic Statements, and Potentially Triggering Discussions on Loss Of Virginity.
As you can see by the content warnings, Ghost World is not the most palatable of comics. Created by famous cartoonist Daniel Clowes, Ghost World is a coming-of-age tale following two adolescent high school graduates—Enid and Rebecca—during their last summer break as they attempt to find peace and direction in their respective futures. The two self-proclaimed “hipsters” enjoy going to the local diner– a setting practically uninhabited besides a few regular customers– and trash-talking everything different from themselves. Clowes manages to wonderfully capture the immature superiority complex of these egotistical bohemian teens. Call it a microcosm of teen angst, or perhaps a mere cross-section meant to parallel American youth. The two protagonists of this narrative are meant to be relatable, not likeable (at least to a certain degree).
My feelings on this graphic novel are ambivalent; I disliked the two protagonists (as I believe Clowes’ intended), but I also found their interactions frequently touching and humorous. Clowes’ cartoon style is perfect for emphasizing facial expressions and establishing caricature-esque personalities that are often off-putting. The few yet vibrant colors contrast well with the stark setting and the pair’s pessimistic characteristics. The lack of color is very intriguing, as Clowes draws from a relatively narrow palate to establish expressive illustrations. That being said, in regards to narrative aspects, Clowes makes poor use of certain poignant moments in the work, detracting from the overall emotional highlights that the reader gleans from the social interactions of the protagonists. While sparsely utilized, the sudden flashes of compassion and insight into the discomfort of growing up prove extremely rewarding to the reader after absorbing Clowes’ harsh reality. While the excessively vulgar interjections detracted slightly from the influential interactions between Enid and Rebecca, the themes are still commanding and relevant.
The scope of this work is certainly ambiguous, with an unclear dichotomy between the satire and the exposure of the detrimental nature of human behavior. The theme of insecurity is emphasized as Clowes has the pair seek out those members of society who appear similarly isolated and envious to achieve some status of belonging. Often, upon discovering them, the demeaning duo chastises these “outsiders” for exposing any humanity, further removing themselves from any construct of community. The world in which these teens reside is plagued by ghastly media coverage of serial killers and vapid TV programs that hypnotize their audience. The universe the two girls live in is definitely unattractive, with a plethora of sleazy male figures and an abundance of unempathetic individuals. The friends take solace in each other’s presence, but this proves fleeting when Enid professes that she may be attempting to matriculate into the upcoming class at a university roughly 2000 miles away. The tension this causes is repressed throughout the story, proving to be a well-implemented motif that catalyzes the reader’s appreciation for the friends’ relationship. All of these negative attributes eventually arrive at pertinent moments of humanity. In these moments Clowes displays his talent for exposing the little “in-between” moments that seem to make all the negative points worth bearing.
Clowes’ ability to carry the audience to emotional highs and then transition to moments of utter solemnity is apparent throughout the comic. One particular instance occurs after a large fight between the two protagonists in which both return to their lives of solitude, manifested frighteningly by Clowes’ use of perspective in each character’s dismissive home life. However, just as the characters seem to be at their lowest, Enid returns home to find Rebecca had left her a gift, in the form of a record that Enid had mentioned brought her joy as a child. It is these little scraps of humanity that Clowes deploys to craft a wonderful narrative that is both extremely uncomfortable and thought-provoking.