Summary Of The Lead Up By Lisa Chen

This graphic novel written by Lisa Chen consists of different chapters that provide insight on several periods of her life, that impact and shape her into the person she is today. The Lead Up is a chapter that recounts the events that occur before her stepmother and father divorce. The chapter depicts how these events had significantly affected her and how that has caused her to be the emotionally sensitive yet resilient and independent teenager she is today after experiencing these hardships. It is written after reading Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis, to gain insight on the writing process.

The select panel shows the author sitting outside her parents’ room curled up on the floor, as she listens to her parents fight. This panel is set right
before her stepmother attempts suicide twice. A feeling of isolation, confusion, and dejection is apparent in the panel. The straightforward use of emanata on Lisa’s face and her timid body posture with her head down shows the sadness felt while listening to their fighting.

Through the use of graphic weight, she contrasts against the black background, which figuratively conveys how she is literally forced to be isolated and in the dark during such affairs. This works in conjunction to the composition, where the side of her parents fighting takes up more of the panel than her side, showing how it has taken over her life and she has no control. Her young age and the great impact these occurrences had on her is emphasised through the size disparity between her and her parents.