Written by: Brooke Ranum, Kathy Rossi and Renee Strand
Imagine being seventeen years old. Your future is ahead of you, and anything is possible. Dreams of colleges and careers race through your mind, reminding you that your options are limitless. But what happens when life takes an unexpected turn? You are sick. You are dying. All of your goals and dreams for the future have to be pushed aside, because now you have to focus on your illness. Everything has changed.
This is the tragic truth that Pedro Zamora came to realize on page 48 of Pedro and Me. Like many seventeen-year-olds, Pedro had similar dreams for his future. However, his plans changed dramatically after learning he had contracted the AIDS virus. Consequently, he spent his last years fighting his illness while educating others.
Throughout Pedro and Me, Pedro is upbeat while facing his battle. He is strong, courageous, and committed to surviving. When turning to page 48, you can immediately sense that something has changed. The author, Judd Winick, chose a solid black background for this full-page panel. This effect conveys emotions of sadness and depression. It seems as though Winick may have chosen this color to symbolize the tragic message conveyed on this particular page.
Bold white lettering trickles down one side of the panel. You can literally experience a sinking feeling as your eyes move down the page. The message is very clear: While Pedro used to dream of colleges, cars, and careers, he has finally come to the devastating truth that he is dying from AIDS.
Next to the words, in the bottom corner of the page, is a small drawing of Pedro, strapped tightly into the driver’s seat of his car. This single image brings all of the focus onto Pedro’s face, where you can see a mixture of anger, fear and sadness. The prominent black seatbelt sends the message that Pedro is trapped, no longer able to pursue his dreams. He cannot escape his illness. On the other hand, the seatbelt could also signify safety. While he didn’t protect himself in the past, the seatbelt now offers physical protection while driving.
No matter how you look at it, the panel on page 48 is delivers an important message in Pedro and Me. Everything has changed, and Pedro has finally admitted that AIDS would take his life.
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I like what your group says about the seat belt at the bottom of the page. I did not get the feeling that the seat belt was a way to hold Pedro back from his dreams. I also did not see the seat belt meaning safety and offering him protection for the future. After reading this from what your group came up with, I could see that it could mean what you said. I think your group did a good job coming up with the symbolism in the seat belt.
ReplyDeletePage 112 Panel 2 Jody Parsons
ReplyDeleteThe Panel I choose is on page 112. In the speech bubble it says “Because we liked sitting on rocks watching pelicans”
What’s going on in the panel? There are four people sitting on the rocks watching the water, birds, and clouds.
How do you know? For one the speech bubble tells you what they are doing, but without the speech bubble I would have said they were relaxing and sharing stories.
How does the panel fit in (or not) with other parts of the novel? Yes I believe the panel fits in with other parts of the novel, because the novel is mostly about how a relationship was formed, and part of relationships are having things in common with the other people.
How are darkness/shadows/light used in the panel? I think the light and shadows are used fine in the panel, you can tell that two people are wearing striped shirts and on is wearing a dark shirt, while the other is wearing a light shirt.
How are words/fonts used or portrayed in the panel? On page 112 it is being explained why they are friends, and most every panel is part of a list, the panel I choose continues with the list of reason, and the words and font fit in with the panel.
What details matter—shapes, method of drawing, colors, etc? I think what matters in this panel is the people and the birds, because they match with the speech bubble.
What, if anything, seems symbolic in the panel? The most symbolic thing about the panel is the people have no faces you can only see them from the back, therefore the people sitting on the rock could be anyone of us forming a relationship with other people.
SORRY I AM POSTING MY BLOG CONTRABUTION TO YOUR COMMONETS BUT I CAN’T FIGURE OUT HOME TO START MY OWN.
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ReplyDeleteI think your description of the panel on page 48 is done quite vividly. You really did a good job of painting a picture of what the panel shows in the drawings but also in how the text is displayed on the panel. The message of how Pedro is feeling is very clear in your description, and actually looking at the page I think you guys hit it right on with what you have written. I didn’t even really think of the seatbelt as symbolic until I read your description. That was an interesting observation you made.
ReplyDeleteI think your group did a wonderful job analyzing this panel. I too thought it was one of the most effective panels in the book. The way Winick illustrates the facial expressions of Pedro really allows the readers to gain an idea of the emotions he was going through after he learned that he was HIV positive. Also your group did a wonderful job explaining symbolism presented in the panel. When first viewing the page, I did not think the picture represented so much but after reading your group's analysis I realize the significance of the picture.
ReplyDeleteThis message is not only towards Pedro, but to all those people who find out that they have contracted AIDS. It is a life turning experience, you do not know how long you are going to live, so therefore it is hard to find realization in your future. Is it worth it to go for pre medicine and then get into medical school just to find out it was all for nothing because you are going to pass soon. I like how you portrayed this panel in your response, you answered all the question with great depth and accuracy.
ReplyDeleteI think that your introduction paragraph is very dramatic, it keeps the reader wondering and interested. You have done an excellent job capturing the picture, I was able to picture it in my mind and I knew exactly what page you had chosen. I agree that it is one of the most emotional pages in the book. The seat belt signifying safety for himself in the present while not in the past is a very interesting interpretation that had not crossed my mind. You guys did a great job not only for the symbolism but also the overall paper.
ReplyDeleteOooh, nice opening! I think you got my attention there! It was a nice transition from paragraph to paragraph, also. I loved the seatbelt sentence! That was brilliant. It just reminded me of an earlier panel when he said that he was a good, safe person who is good to his family and why did this have to happen to him? That just showed that he was safe in his car. You guys picked up some impressive symbolism. overall, very well done!
ReplyDeleteI like the attention getter in the beginning, as well as the comment at the end. Saying that nothing else matters but the fact that Pedro now knows that AIDS will be the end all to his life. This is such a moving panel choice. When reading this book I was a bit unmotivated by the contect of the book, but with heart wrenching moments in it like this, I kept reading. Great choice of panel group!
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