A Comparative Literary Analysis of Skim by Mariko Tamaki and I Won’t Always Be Like This by Malaka Gharib

Name: Professor's name: Course: Date: A Comparative Literary Analysis of Skim by Mariko Tamaki and It Won't Always Be Like This by Malaka Gharib Introduction The life-long journey of growth and development is characteristic of different stages with equally unique influences to the values, principles, beliefs, and ideologies that define and inform the identity of an individual across the various spheres of life. For instance, an individual's cultural background may play a significant role in determining their interaction and integration with others in within different settings such as families, learning institutions, and the workplaces. A person's life experiences across the various stages of growth and development, such as adolescence, may also influence their values and beliefs that further contribute to the development of their identities in the socio-cultural, economic, and even political domains. In essence, socio-cultural factors and life experiences or events play a crucial role in the development of an individual's identity. These socio-cultural factors and life events or experiences further reiterate some of the growth and development theories that inform various approaches for assessing the development of the dominant or well-developed identities defining individuals across the different spheres of life. Mariko Tamaki's novel Skim and Malaka Gharib's It Won't Always Be Like This provide graphical exploration of some of the factors that may influence the development of an individual's identity. Both graphic novels focus on their protagonist's adolescent life and experiences and further highlight the challenges posed by such factors in the quest for a well-developed identity. Provided herein is a comparative analysis of the two graphic novels through the lens of the identity status model and psychosocial development theory by James Marcia and Erik Erikson, respectively. Theoretical Framework The theory of identity development or the identity status model by James Marcia posits that there are different paths towards developing a stable identity among the adolescents. These paths are characteristic of the individual's quest to define and commit themselves to particular sets of beliefs, values, principles and ideologies in the socio-cultural, political, and economic domains. James Marcia's theory purports that it is during the adolescent stage in life that individuals begin to explore by questioning existing beliefs, values, principles, and ideologies and committing to that which best suits how they prefer to define themselves in societyCITATION Kro11 \p 34 \l 1033 (Kroger 34). On the other hand, Erik Erikson's psychosocial development theory introduces eight different stages through which individuals develop their personalities or identitiesCITATION McL24 \p 2 \l 1033 (McLeod 2). According to Erikson's theory, the adolescent stage presents a major struggle of identity verses role confusion among the teenagers. Adolescents face the challenge of trying to figure out who they are, what they want to become, and how to become who they would like to be in society. According to the theory, successful mitigation of the challenges faced amidst the exploration of different values, beliefs, and ideas coupled with equally distinct roles reflects a strong sense of belief in one's identity. James Marcia and Erik Erikson's theoretical frameworks provide excellent platforms for a comparative analysis and evaluation of Mariko Tamaki's and Malaks Gharib's graphic novels by highlighting some of the principles of identity development displayed by the authors. Emotional Development in Skim Mariko Tamaki relives the adolescent life of a 16-year-old girl, Kimberly Keiko Cameron, also known as Skim to her classmates in the Roman Catholic all-girls high school. Her parents' separation makes for the genesis of her emotional struggle characterized by self-isolation, loneliness, and difficulties to interact and maintain relations at school. She does not trust her classmates or believe in the school's concern for the students' overall wellbeing. Her cynical attitude to the school and her classmates may have stemmed from the perception that her parents' separation was driven by selfish interest and thus distrusting the sincerity of the individuals she interacts with especially at school. In response to Mrs. Hornet's concern for the psychological wellbeing of students affiliated to the gothic culture, Skim finds the school's guidance counsellor insincere and even clueless to what she is undergoing (Tamaki 22). She confesses in her diary that she is truly depressed but it has nothing to do with her gothic religious orientation (Tamaki 22). She further explores different relationships, including a forbidden relationship with one of the teachers at the school. She even shares an intimate moment with the teacher, Miss Archer, but the teacher breaks off the relationship and leaves the school for a new job (Tamaki 80). Skim displays James Marcia's identity moratorium status characterised by her exploration of the same-sex sexual orientation with her teacher that ultimately informs her perceived queer identity. She ends up with Katie in what can be a match of unique identities that hav...