Blankets

Recalling memories is the basis of the novel as Craig reminisces on his life. He writes the novel as an adult looking back on his childhood and the experiences he had in these crucial time periods of his life. Memories are like dreams to Craig, and often he wonders if the things he remembers are even real: “that memory is so dreamlike—too eery and beautiful to be real” (538). Craig’s memories occur in three stages: his childhood, his adolescence, and his young adulthood after moving away from home. The memories that Craig has as a child influence the decisions he makes as a teenager, and all of these memories culminate to influence him for the rest of his life. Each holds a special significance for Craig, and each contributes to the person that he becomes.

Craig does not have a happy childhood. Although his memories are interspersed with brief periods of joy, most are shrouded in trauma, darkness, and neglect. Craig is bullied by everyone around him: his peers, his school and church teachers, his parents, and himself. Craig has deeply rooted feelings of guilt over the choices he made regarding his brother as a child: “I was a pathetic older brother. I neglected my protective role in dangerous situations” (18). He also feels guilt because of his religion. Craig hears from his parents and his church that he will be punished and sent to Hell if he does not live by the Bible’s word. Many of the things Craig takes interest in seem to contradict what he learns from the Bible, and it creates confusion in him. For instance, Craig draws a picture of a naked woman when he is on the verge of puberty, and his parents shame him. On top of this, his teacher publicly shames him when she finds a drawing he did of his bullies eating feces, telling him his mother and God would both “be disgusted with this” (28). Craig constantly clashes with the world around him, and the memories he forms in his childhood turn him into a hesitant, insecure, and guilt-ridden teenager.

Craig’s first love is a significant experience in his life, and this is evidenced by the fact that he chose to write an autobiographical graphic novel detailing his experiences with Raina. He represents his memories with Raina in an almost dreamlike fashion. Raina opens up an entirely new world to Craig, and the memories he forms with her are filled with love, innocent sexuality, and taking pleasure in the simplest things, like snow. Raina also teaches Craig about responsibility and family, which inspires him to reach out to his brother and begin rebuilding their bond upon his return. The quilt that Raina sews for Craig represents the many memories they share (“They’re all patterns that remind me of you” [183]), and because of this, when they break up, Craig is unable to fully part with it. Instead, he ties it up in a bag and puts it in the cubby hole. This is significant because it speaks to the impact this particular memory has on Craig’s development.

Years later, when Craig returns to revisit his memories, he views the blanket and his relationship with Raina in a whole new way. Evolved and matured, he comes to cherish his sacred memories with Raina, even sleeping with the quilt on that particularly cold night. By the end of the novel, Craig is a changed person. He takes a walk with his brother, and they discuss the nature of memory and how it is unreliable. Craig takes comfort in knowing that Phil shares the same childhood memories as he does. His memories continue to influence him, but he can look back on his experiences more objectively and learns to move on from the things that once held him back.