After reading this segment of the book I found it very interesting that throughout the entire comic fom the time he was released, the entire time Arti is wearing what appears to be his prison uniform. This I think may be symbolic of his somehow being a prisoner to everything around him. In the begining he states that he lived with his parents as part of his agreement for his release from the mental institution, and later in the comic when everyone is placing blame on him for his mothers death.
This was also another point that I found interesting was that everybody, and in some ways Arti himself, blamed him for his mothers death. Arti indicates blaming himself when he says; "I suppose that if I'd gotten home when expected..." and again when he has the flashback to when he was laying in bed and his mom came in and asked if he still loved her an he said "Sure, Ma!". To me this kinda indicated sarcasm and that he wasnt being very sincear. Another item that i think goes along with Arti blaming himself if when he is in the prison and he says; "Congratulations!... You've commited the perfect crime... ... You murdered me, mommy and you left me hear to take the rap!!!"
Another part that really caught my attention was p. 101 the very last frame Arti is consoling his father and his uncle is on the phone making the funeral arrangements and from the phone we see; "... And for $950.00 we have a bronze casket with bronze colored velvet... of course, for $2000.00 we can...", something about that just caught my eye about the giant price gap. Also the "PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE" eagle emblem in the bottom corner, I cant figure out the significance of that but i feel its supposed to mean something.
I think it's interesting that you picked up on how Artie wears the prison uniform throughout the comic strip because I noticed the same thing. I agree with you about how it might be symbolizing that he is a prisoner to everything around him. Just from the rest of the story told it kind of seems that way.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really understand why everyone seemed to blame Artie for his mother's death. With all this blame being placed on him, no wonder he feels like such a prisoner. I also think that the "Protect What You Have" logo probably has some importance to the story he is telling.
I also wrote about the "protect what you have" logo, but I couldn't figure out the significance either. That's interesting about the price gaps between the caskets, I didn't even notice that. I didn't understand why everyone blamed Artie for his mothers death, but I don't entirely feel bad for him because if his mother was asking him if he still loved her, he must not show it.
ReplyDeleteI was also intrigued by the "Prisionor on the Hell Planet" comic. I feel horribly bad for Artie at this point because not only did he just get out of the mental hospital but his mother just died and many people are blaming him. Although, I think that Artie's mother really committed suicide because of all the trauma she went through. If you really think about it, she lost her first born in one of the concentration camps and he could have still been alive if she would have just agreed to hide him sooner and then also just the fact that she was in the war could have made her suicidal. There are many possiblities!
ReplyDeleteThe "PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE" symbol in the corner of page 101, I truely don't understand it either but my opinion on why it was put in the comic on that certain page was to show that you can protect what you love with an expensive casket. It probably means so much more but that's what I got out of it.
I agree with you about the part in Artie's comic when he stressing over the last things he said to his mother when she came to check on him and he was very dismissive to her. He blamed hisself for her death and I think that played a big role in her committing suicide because she was already going through it from the camps she was in, plus feeling live her son doesn't love her had to have crushed her emotionally.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting how you connected his prison uniform to him being locked away to everything around him and how they blame his mothers death on him. I did not even take notice to the "PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE" in the corner but now that you pointed that out, I also am confused on what that could possibly mean.
ReplyDeleteInsurance Company of North America came up with that slogan in the 1930's.
ReplyDeleteif you look at the uniform Art is wearing. It is actually the striped pyjamas Jewish prisoners wore in the Holocaust. it's meant to symbolise his guilt and grief by saying that his mother put him into an inescapable dark place with her suicide and he feels like a prisoner to his history.
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