Hale, D. & Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY. Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books.
In this graphic novel made for young adults we find a unique twist on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel. In this story, Rapunzel lives with the evil Gothal who she thinks is her mother. She lives her young life trapped between the towering walls of a large Mediterranean style villa. One day she discovers what is over the large wall, a desolate land in ruins with people living in poverty and despair. Among them she discovers her true mother and when forced to go back to Gothal, she gives her a piece of her mind. Unfortunately Gothal has planned well in advance for this and has her taken to a tree-house like tower in the middle of a dangerous swamp. It is so high that Rapunzel can not escape. She lives here in the tower for many years, growing up to be a beautiful young women as her hair grows longer and longer. Until one day, when she is 16, she ties her hair into a braid and uses it as a lasso to tie around a tree and swing on it like a rope. As soon as she is free, she figures out how to wrangle a wild boar and ride it until it's shot by a generic "adventure hero" in cowboy get up who looks a little like a Ken Doll. He shows his true colors when he reveals his intentions and so Rapunzel plays a little joke on him. She then finds her way into an old western saloon where she saves her soon to be sidekick Jack and his goose from a dangerous fight. They steal some horses and runaway from the trouble. The two get to know each other and decide to return to Gothal to seek revenge and get Rapunzel's true mother out of danger. A few adventures are thrown their way, but Rapunzel always seems to save the day and get the two back on track. Together they manage to sneak their way back to the Villa where Rapunzel's mother is trapped in the dungeon. They save her and defeat Gothal with some help from Jack's beanstalk and a magic tree. Rapunzel and Jack's friendship turns into romance and a it turns into a happy ending for all...even the goose who finally lays a golden egg.
Along with an Old West style , the characters and setting are important components in this graphic novel. Rapunzel is not a princess that needs any rescuing. She begins as a weaker, younger, more naive and vulnerable character, but years of built up anger and frustration in a tower make her a powerful, strong, spirited, and independent young women with the sharp mouth of a cowgirl. She has plans of revenge and to save her mother. Jack is the con-artist/thief turned good-guy sort of side kick. Together the two show a playful, witty, and sarcastic dialogue that helps turn their relationship to friendship and later romance. Unlike most classic fairy tales as well as comic stories the hero is a girl and her sidekick is the boy. I personally love it. It is a powerful character that young girls can relate too and look up to. No more damsel in distress. There of course are many characters who help the duo along the way and of course the evil villain, Gothal. The setting is also an important factor in making this novel so unique. A swampy marshland, and southwest canyons and dessert help complete the western spin on this story. The comic strip illustrations give us full details of where they are, almost like watching a movie. This graphic novel is a great read with possibly units of study on women heroes, twisted versions of classic fairy tales, and on the graphic novel itself.
Check out the sequel Calamity Jack at http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_jack.html
No comments:
Post a Comment