Parenthood In The Story Of Craig Thompson's 'Blankets'

In the graphic novel Blankets, Craig Thompson tells the story of his early childhood, his relationship with his younger brother, and of his first love. Due to the limiting structures of being raised in a religious household, having been abused by a babysitter, and being unable to form a comforting relationship with his parents, Craig has a hard time transitioning into the adult world. His is visibly unable to find a way to “fit in” and feels like he is drowning in a society where he cannot find his reason for existence. Therefore, it would be argued that Craig’s life was heavily shaped by his parents, the abuse from the babysitter, and his inability to create his own identity and sense of purpose.

Craig’s parents had a distinct parenting style, an authoritarian father and a permissive mother, which had a large impact on his life. The fact that his mother was permissive meant that she did care about her children, but she did not take in active role in structuring their actions (Lobb, 2017). When Craig asked her for permission to spend some time at Raina’s house, she did not put up much of an

Having been shaped by his parents’ parenting styles, into a person who does what he is told without the ability to openly display his doubts, he spent a significant amount of his life questioning his faith and his actions. The fact that he was sexually abused by his babysitter, and that he did not have a stable attachment with his parents, caused Craig to retreat into himself, and distance himself from his brother. Finally, it was only after having met Raina, that Craig realized that he needed to add meaning to his life, and that he needed to find himself before he could grow up. All in all, Craig’s story demonstrates how even some of the most confused souls, can find their purpose, all it takes is a bit of courage, and some