Prof. Vydelingum
English 108
May 27, 2010
Reflections and Responses: “Two Questions” 1. What does Lynda Barry’s comic strip suggest about children and drawing? What do they enjoy about it? Why might they suddenly stop drawing? What does Barry seem to be saying about the creative process in general?
I believe that children love the idea of drawing whatever is on their mind. If something pops up, they could express themselves by drawing whatever it is. Barry is trying to say that children should draw no matter what happens. There may be times where they second guess themselves and that will have an effect on the final outcome. Children may suddenly stop drawing because they are being criticized by other students or even their teacher. Being criticized may bring them down and can have a negative feeling on them. By doing so, they will feel that art is not for them and not want to draw anymore.
2. What are the “two questions,” and how are they visualized throughout the comic strip? What does their appearance suggest about them? What is their connection to “good” drawings and “bad” drawings? What do you think the octopus-like creature is meant to suggest? What is the significance of the repeated phrase “don’t know”?
Two Questions is a comic strip about Lynda Barry and the art of cartons and drawing. This writer/artist had times of troubles that made her a better person. “Is it good,” “Does it suck,” were the two questions that were asked every time she had drawn something. Barry wanted to be a good artist, but she had her doubts about herself. She had to try and figure out the answers to her questions, but instead she shows objects and creatures that are trying to pull her down. For example, on page 66 there is a picture of a creature that says “Man the torpedoes she’s getting closer.” There are four different torpedoes that explain four different names: moron, genius, stupid, and brilliant. This signifies that she is getting closer