On My New York Diary

My New York Diary

I have put off writing about this comic, because in all honesty, it’s not the best comic I’ve read for the class. It wasn’t my cup of tea, though I do see the appeal, with its stylistic roots lying in underground comics, it discusses topics that are both personal and difficult in other mediums. As a platform for encountering the topics, I found the style fitting; gritty, filthy, and awkward, perfectly describing her experiences like her ‘first time’.

I thought that as an artist myself, I could relate to her story, but I somehow couldn’t. It felt very personal, but crossed no paths with mine. Perhaps this is due to our polar opposite lifestyles; if anything, it made me afraid of New York. Grasping deeper into the stories, I found that a female’s perspective on what life is like entertaining, and it was that aspect that kept me going throughout the graphic narrative.

Her first time started with a borderline homeless man, where here attitude towards the situation was ‘oh well’, just letting the activity happen. Beyond that, this line has popped up time after time again. This brings up the concept that some females may feel pressured into doing things they don’t want to, highlighting an inferiority complex that could have been instated by modern media. For example, the clear objectification of females is prevalent in almost everything, from the ridiculous line of “Bic for Her” Pens, to Star Trek: Into Darkness’s now infamous and completely redundant underwear scene. This promotes a form of insecurity and an idea that they are powerless in situations regarding men. Of course, this isn’t legally true in most cases, as females have the right to do just as much as a male could today; however, the social gap is still there.

 And so, when she says ‘oh well’, those two words meant a lot more than it does on the surface. I believe that those words allude to a much bigger issue, that women feel pressured by men in certain circumstances, and as much as most men would like to deny it, it is the truth of today.

For this idea, I commend the book; it has pushed me as a reader to see it from the main character’s perspective, even though I did not enjoy the claustrophobic panel design of the book. I guess one can appreciate it if it’s their cup of tea, but I’ll stick with earl grey for today.