Blankets

Blankets is a 2003 autobiographical graphic novel by Craig Thompson, who created both the text and the illustrations. It tells the story of Craig’s coming-of-age and first love in the context of his strict religious upbringing, and later, a departure from his childhood faith. Time magazine ranked Blankets first on its Best Comics list for 2003 and eighth on its list of Best Comics of the Decade. In 2004 it won Harvey awards for Best Cartoonist, Best Artist, and Best Graphic Album of Original Work; Ignatz awards for Outstanding Artist and Outstanding Graphic Novel or Collection; Eisner awards for Best Graphic Album and Best Writer; and in 2005, it won the Prix de la Critique. It is one of the most decorated American graphic novels. To date, it has been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Plot Summary

Blankets takes place in Wisconsin, USA and in Michigan, USA. The first part of the novel concentrates on the relationship between Craig and his younger brother, Phil. As it begins, Craig and Phil are crowded uncomfortably into a single bed; they’re unhappy about it aside from the times that they use their imagination to construct fantastical scenarios in their bed together. The early novel also details Craig’s unhappy relationship with his peers. He is ceaselessly tormented by bullies at school, beaten up on a regular basis, and derided publicly. Home life isn’t always a respite: A male babysitter sexually abuses both brothers, and Craig later feels intense guilt for not being able to protect his little brother. On top of this, his parents are unsympathetic, and his father is abusive and terrorizes the boys to keep them in line. Feeling alone and unhappy, Craig becomes infatuated with the idea of running away; he thinks about it all the time. He never brings himself to actually go through with it, however. He tries to comfort himself by forcing himself to feel grateful for what he has, but he finds his greatest happiness at night in dreams.

Craig’s other joy in life and his creative outlet is drawing, a talent he shares with his brother. Unfortunately, the hobby is little encouraged by those around them. Craig and Phil’s family, revealed to be religious to the point of near fanaticism, regularly make Craig feel guilty for the things he draws and for not putting more effort and attention into serving God. Craig has been raised to believe that the Bible is the literal word of God, and that it’s beyond question or refutation. This is a major source of guilt and inner conflict for Craig.

One winter, Craig goes to church camp, hoping for a different social dynamic than the one he faces at school. Disappointed when this does not materialize, he does manage to find a group of fellow outsiders to hang out with. Especially notable amongst their number is 17-year-old Raina, a beautiful girl from Michigan. Raina and Craig quickly become close, and after camp ends, they continue their relationship with love letters and frequent phone calls.

Eventually, Craig has the opportunity to stay with Raina’s family in Michigan for two weeks. There, he learns a lot about her and her lifestyle—which, as it turns out, is as challenging as his own, although very different in its particulars. Raina’s parents’ relationship is in shambles, and although her dad wants to work things out with her mom, her mom doesn’t feel the same. Raina feels responsible for the care of her two adopted siblings, Laura and Ben, who both have Down’s syndrome. Laura is the livelier of the two, while Ben is more cautious and shy. Raina also has an elder biological sister, Julie, the care of whose new baby also often falls to Raina.

Craig and Raina become very close during their stay together, and Raina gives Craig a blanket she made for him. The blanket is decorated with designs that remind her of him. She asks Craig to draw on her bedroom wall, knowing his love of drawing, and he eventually gains the courage to do so. After several nights of sleeping in the same bed, Craig finally gives in to Raina’s advances and loses his virginity to her. He naively believes they will stay together and form a solid relationship even after he returns home. Raina seems to know this is not the case and just wants to enjoy his company and the brief love they share. Despite their closeness during his stay, after Craig returns home, Raina breaks things off; she is simply under too much pressure at home. They try to remain friends after this, but their calls to one another become less frequent over time, until eventually, Craig, completely dissatisfied, ends their friendship. Afterward, devastated, he sets about destroying everything Raina ever gave him. He leaves only the blanket unscathed, storing it in the attic.

Craig moves away from home soon after to make a life of his own. Away from the places and people of his childhood, he comes to terms with his spirituality, admitting to his brother he no longer considers himself a Christian (although he does still believe in Jesus’ teachings and in God). When, after several years, he returns home to visit, he is no longer anything like the boy he had been before. He is independent, secure with who he is, and no longer ridden with religious guilt.

Blankets places a very modern, American spin on the bildungsroman, or coming-of-age story. In the end, Craig’s ability to move on from Raina, after having used their relationship to prop himself up emotionally, is a true sign that he has matured. By the end of the novel, Craig has removed almost every trace of Raina from his life, and it is notable that the blanket she gave him remains.