https://blogs.ubc.ca/hamzadavison/2022/10/17/my-thoughts-on-thi-buis-the-best-we-could-do/
In Hamza’s blog, he discusses Thi Bui’s The Best We Could Do and what stood out to him. The first thing he mentions is the layout of Bui’s graphic novel. He states that it “often broke the typical comic book format.” I found this stood out to me as well when I was reading. I thought the format was clever and changed how I perceived some of the text. It emphasized specific subjects within the story, delivering it uniquely.
Another thing that Hamza said stuck out to him was Bui highlighting the inability to see your parents as anything but that, seen on pages 316-319. This idea is something that I as well have thought about before. I am fortunate to have parents who love sharing stories from their pasts, but I find it bizarre to think that they had lived independently from my brother and me and independently from each other. Although they have said their lives felt fulfilled, they emphasize the drastic change having kids made on them. Hamza suggests that “truth often doesn’t process with people until they become a parent as Thi Bui did.” I think this is true of many things, as people typically find it difficult to fully understand another person’s perspective on a given subject until they experience it themselves. In Bui’s case, after she gave birth and became a parent, she gained a more empathetic relationship with her mother.
Hi Nina — great post! I definitely agree with your and Hamza’s points that Bui breaks through a ‘typical comic book format’ to enhance her storytelling. How else do you think that she used graphic elements (colour, page layout, line weight, etc.) to enhance the story?