"The Beautiful Ambiguity of Blankets: Representation in Comics and Religious Art," written by Benjamin Stevens of the University of Florida, provides a wealth of information about Craig Thompson's 2003 autobiographical graphic novel Blankets. Stevens' analysis focuses on characteristics of the novel such as style, the search for identity, the impact of Christianity, and details within the actual illustrations. This provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the content and meaning behind Thompson's work. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Thompson's combination of illustrations and dialogue is remarkable. Stevens' investigation of the work highlights this fact, noting "the visual and material identity of 'image' and 'text' or 'word'" (Stevens 6). The ability to use both text and a direct form of visual aid is not typical of a novel, but allows Thompson to go into more detail about Craig's family life, childhood, search for himself, and internal conflict about his faith. An interesting feature of this graphic novel is the fact that no two pages are the same. There is no fixed number of plates or words assigned, leaving the author the freedom to express himself fully through his work: "Even on the first page of the scene, therefore, our awareness of Craig's path, what then we have seen call its “movement” depends on the visual, representational or spatial dimension rather than the textual, discursive or temporal one” (Stevens 8). The use of his drawings within his illustrations is also intriguing, allowing the reader to have an even greater understanding of his mindset. Craig's search for identity is another important component of the plot: “An immediate complication of this reading is that the private aspect of the character 'meditation', in the form of his depicted thoughts, is not 'private' but presented to the reader or viewer” (Stevens 2). A clear example of this self-exposure is the detailed comic illustrations of masturbation on pages 147 and 148. Craig is comfortable enough with his audience to be honest about even the most intimate circumstances, granting the reader access to his thoughts more intimate. Thompson connects the search for identity with the idea of ​​“stretching” in both the mental and physical aspect: "[CRAIG] I've never seen the shadows lengthen before. [RAINA] They're ambitious" (Thompson 245.3). Thompson leverages his ability to display thoughts and emotions in a more complex medium than simple words on a page. It privileges the reader with Craig's thoughts and desires, particularly in light of his feelings for Raina and his struggle to accept the biblical teachings he grew up with. Craig's devout Christian parents attempt to impose their beliefs on him, but are very hypocritical throughout the book. process. Likewise, all of Craig's interactions within the church have been negative as the “Christians” are very cruel to him for various reasons. One of his greatest passions is drawing, from which the idea of ​​worshiping God through his art was born. However, his teachers, parents, and church members condemn him, going so far as to say that art will lead to things like homosexuality and pygmalionism through the process of idolatry. This forces Craig into an internal struggle between accepting a faith that is not lived among his “followers” ​​and choosing to follow his own path of worshiping God in the way he feels most comfortable. As Stevens notes, “Blankets is at least 'art about religion' if not 'religious art'” (37). Craig is in a"., 2004.