In our ASTU class we have started working on our final papers. My paper will be focussing on Safe Area Gorazde by Joe Sacco and how this graphic narrative shows the different ways of coping with violent events and traumas. There are numerous examples throughout the book which illustrates the impact war has on a community, however, for the purpose of this blog i’ll focus on one chapter called “Silly Girls.”

War and violence can have negative impacts on peoples lives especially emotional and physical ones. Sacco uses different techniques in order to display how the characters are able to cope with the effects of war. One chapter in particular shows how, when surrounded by violence and death, people have different ways of dealing with trauma. Sacco uses the chapter “Silly Girls” to show how the characters use laughter, partying, and other activities as a way to distract themselves from the war and violence happening around them. The chapter begins on page 50 with three girls smiling largely at what appears to be a small party. Sacco and Edin are visiting a woman named Nudjejma at her house and there are numerous other people there who are having fun, laughing and eating cake “made from bananas!” (50) He draws the girls’ smiles so big that their teeth are completely showing. In the next frame on page 51, there is six people, including Sacco and Edin, sitting around a table with their heads tilted back from laughing and again huge smiles on everyone’s faces. Later on page 56 Sacco tells the girls he will be leaving Gorazde for a bit and the girls light up with excitement and begin hugging each other and smiling even bigger than before. They asked him to please bring them back a pair of Levi’s jeans when he returns from his trip.

Nadjejma appears to handle the stress and trauma of war by hosting a party to celebrate the little victories, such as having bananas in Gorazde for the first time after the war. The two ‘silly girls’ cope with the everyday violence that they have been accustomed to by wanting normal teenage girl things, such as a pair of the popular brand of jeans. Sacco shows multiple ways people are able to recover from war, even if it is as simple as appreciating the small things in life, it helps to get back to a normal or better way of life.