Witty, Dark, and Real

“Daniel Clowes’ “Ghost World” is a sarcastic, witty novel, with a serious dark undertone.  Following Enid, an 18-year old girl searching for her identity, the novel meanders about, presenting odd scenarios and characters, each adding a specific facet to the reader’s experience.

What I found impressive about Clowes’ work was his treatment of Enid’s character.  The reader truly witnesses Enid grow and change throughout the novel; constantly altering her appearance, Clowes makes it quite clear just how desperately she is searching for a grasp on who she really is.

Thus, we have yet another novel dealing with many issues easily found during teenage years – sexual exploration, identity, future plans, and changing friendships.  Rebecca, Enid’s seemingly more “normal” counterpart, undergoes a great deal of torment at the thought of her best friend leaving for Strathmore.  The relationship the two share is an interesting one in that they are more than friends, more like “life partners” (save no sex, despite talk of “becoming lesbian”).  As Enid prepares to leave, studying for her test, the obvious tension of their supposed upcoming separation manifests itself in arguments typically found in a serious romantic relationship.  For instance, on page 57, the two fight over the fact that Enid hasn’t told Rebecca about her studying, which then leads to a much bigger argument.  This seemingly simple admission is truly the breaking point for their friendship; from this point forward, the two rapidly move apart, fueled by faux anger and true heartbreak.  Rebecca feels as though she is being left behind, and although she literally is, the fact is she is truly scared of what is to become of her without the friend she has come to rely upon.

In fact, this story is simply a transitional period in both of these young lives; in this short time span, the two go in completely different directions, representing how quickly life can change.  Clowes, in a short 85 pages, takes these two women on an emotional rollercoaster as they seem to become entirely different people by the end of the novel.  Ultimately both Rebecca and Enid are searching for their place, or at least a point where they feel comfortable with who they are.

What’s difficult about this novel is how realistic each element is.  Not unlike “Night Fisher”, Clowes’ work forces the reader to cope with situations that are easy to imagine, for on some level, we have all experienced them in one manner or another.  The rejection that Rebecca feels is understandable, and the fear that Enid experiences (and the subsequent anger and slightly pompous attitude) is equally imaginable.  Thus, Clowes creates a novel that deals with real issues in real ways.  I found this to be refreshing, as this story was simply a story; no monsters, no diseases, no superheroes, just realistic situations presented through this dynamic teenage relationship.

We have read such a wide variety of novels, each which portrayed situations, ideals, problems, etc in different manners.  What has become apparent to me is that even novels like “Watchmen”, a seemingly completely different comic than “Ghost World”, all share such similar elements.  These comics allow their readers to experience real situations in such a different, and in many respects, a more connective manner than a typical novel.  This is a fact that I didn’t realize until now, but ultimately, it has made me realize just how powerful a comic can be.