Response to "Blankets" by Craig Thompson

I read both A Contract with God and Blankets, I found them both to be very compelling works and enjoyed how realistic and serious they were. Especially with Eisner’s work being called the first graphic novel; it was the first time a comic had been taken serious enough to be considered true art and writing. However, I’m going to blog more about Blankets by Craig Thompson. While I greatly enjoyed A Contact with God, I don’t feel it’s fitting for me to go on about how Jewish the stories were and how amazing it was that Eisner put together his experiences and to proving that the stereotypes of his religion were wrong while… being someone not Jewish. I can’t relate to these things portrayed in the religious side. However, I can with Blankets. 

I was raised Roman Catholic, and I still consider myself to be one. I found Blankets story to be very endearing and relatable, especially in how Thompson approached his religious views. Of course, I’m not going to go on a rant about religion, but my family’s views of God and religion were eerily similar to the family depicted in Thompson’s graphic novel. I don’t remember what exactly made me pause and rethink what I believed. I wasn’t “losing my religion” but rather reassessing my stance on it. I found going to church dull and would feel no connection going there. The constant prayers felt like a chore to me and didn’t feel personal at all. I know that my family’s homophobia and racism (despite us being dark skinned Asians) certainly pushed that even more. I didn’t agree with either of those views, especially with me still being in the closet actually. (Well, out to everyone except family and real life conversations… but that’s getting off topic). They view God as a force that we should love yet greatly fear, and it didn’t sit well with me. I wanted to view God as a being that I could talk to on a personal level and basically be casual. I didn’t want numerous prayers and renditions. I wanted to break away from what my family had set up as the norm. Everything from our religious beliefs to political ones were differing more and more. 

I was “soul searching” (for a lack of a better term) for most of my time in highschool when my views started shifting. If I’m being honest, it’s still something I’m still figure out and I feel a bit silly for this, but Blankets gave me more comfort and reassured me that my way of approaching this and my changing views were fine.