Guts: A Graphic Novel

Another visual form of symbolism used in Guts is the motion line. Simple, parallel lines drawn outside the outline of a character create the perception of motion. Telgemeier often uses these lines to say something symbolically about a person. The character's motion in a given situation also symbolizes what that person is feeling. For example, when Raina sits in Lauren’s office by herself for the first time, the artist draws her with motion lines all around her outline (73). This symbolizes a quivering, side-to-side motion that indicates to the reader that Raina is quite anxious.

The characters' reactions to their food is a motif the author employs throughout. Part of the nausea Raina feels at the beginning of the narrative is a reaction to artichokes. Many characters react uniquely to foods: Amara eats no cheese; Raina’s mother eats no meat. Raina’s food reaction corresponds with her choice of friends: She loves eating the Korean kimchi Jane gives her while cringing at the thought of eating the Waldorf salad Michelle offers her. One way to track Raina’s progress toward wholeness through the narrative is to follow her reactions to food. She goes from a low point of only eating lettuce and croutons from a salad bar to the great, uninhibited snack feast the girls enjoy at the slumber party.

Several settings appear on numerous occasions throughout the narrative: Raina’s apartment, the fifth-grade classroom, the playground, Jane’s home. The one setting that, from the beginning, is a place of respite and sanctuary for Raina, however, is Lauren’s office. Telgemeier portrays the office as quiet, neat, and spacious. Often, she draws Raina and Lauren as small figures within the office (74), emphasizing the peaceful roominess of Raina’s ultimate place of renewal.