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Dylan Vallat

Professor Orta

English 123

28 February 2018

Alice Break Chains

The book I am going to discuss is ​Shortcomings​ by Adrian Tomine. I was really

interested in Alice’s personality. The three scenes I chose, explore the relationships between the

literacy text and ideas about power and sexuality and gender (Napikoski). Alice is such an

interesting character to look at because of her constant changing of state of mind. She is in a

constant battle with her own identity, which is why she needs Ben to help her figure out the

complications in her life. Taking a closer look at this graphic novel, I found it interesting that the

only relationship that lasted throughout the novel, was that of Ben and Alice.

The relationship of this first scene I chose, to the way people identify and classify

genders is what I found interesting (Napikoski). Ben and Alice are in a cafe talking about Ben's

struggling relationship with Miko. Right off that bat, this is a complete twist on the

generalization of men and women in society. Taking a look at the bottom of page 14, Ben seems

to be trying to have a serious conversation but Alice keeps getting distracted by the waitress (

Tomine 14). Again just like how in real life the social standard would be that women are

normally complaining to the guy in a relationship, here the woman is the one distracted by girls

as usually the men are in society. Alice is described as an extroverted lesbian woman, who in

society would be labelled a player. She hits on the waitress and checks her out with no regard to

Ben who is trying to express himself. This makes Alice come off as an independent person who
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doesn’t really care what anybody thinks of her. Alice tries to explain to Ben that Miko is

changing, and that it might be something that he has to learn and deal with about her, if they

want the relationship to workout. I feel Alice saying this to Ben is her, self reflecting out loud.

She is actually trying to figure out why she cannot hold a steady relationship and is trying to

better herself.

Describing scene two in our list is where Alice takes Ben as a "boyfriend" to hide her

sexuality from her parents (Tomine 25). I’m using this scene to describe the relationship between

the literacy text and sexuality of Alice (Napikoski). Even though her parents hate the Japanese,

Alice says, "Better to have a Japanese boyfriend, than a Korean girlfriend” (Tomine 25).

Sexuality seems to be a very touchy subject in the Kim household, because of the fact that Alice

is so concerned with her parents finding out the truth about her. Things seem to tense and heat up

at the church where Alice brings Ben which is run by Alice's parents. As I said earlier, it seems

like Alice is very open, and doesn't care about what people think. The problem going on inside

Alice is that she is not only afraid of what her parents would think of her if they found out that

she was gay, but also afraid of losing her family. Alice's parents, being very christian, don't

condone homosexuality. At the end of the scene, at the bottom of page 27, I can sense the tension

that went on at the church when Alice whispers, "I'm Fine" to Ben after he asks her if she's okay

(Tomine). Alice is a strong independent person, but deep down still cares about what her parents

think about her. I feel that Tomine uses Alice to express the level of pettiness in people. Alice

has been raised only knowing that heterosexuality is good and everything else is bad. Society

failed Alice, and even though she has found this part of herself and is proud about it. She can’t

share it with her parents who she still loves because her parents won’t accept her. I feel it would
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be best for Alice to be straight with her parents, who would either accept her as she is or not at

all. And if they weren’t to accept her, why should Alice wait around for someone who isn’t

putting any effort into trying?

Alice and Ben are having coffee in a cafe in New York. Alice finally breaks to Ben about

how she Is actually looking for her parents acception, but no matter how hard she tries, she will

never be able to impress and get that appreciation from her parents (Tomine 89). Alice’s parents

represent power when compared to the literacy text (Napikoski) because no matter how far she

runs or fights, they will always have a piece or grip of her life. Alice being from a very religious

family makes it very difficult for her to express who she truly is. Religion is power in itself.

Masses of people rise on sunday mornings to go to church to pray in christianity. In Islam,

multiple times a day, the call to prayer will play on speakers in the cities where you see people

flocking to the closest mosque or just bowing their heads towards Mecca and reciting prayer. I

saw it myself when I went to Morocco in January. This daily prayer is part of their lives and in

turn it seems almost like their religion is integrated with life. This integration between life and

religion is why Alice is so distant from her parents. Yet even though Alice has a mom and dad,

Ben is probably the only one on the planet who knows who Alice Kim really is.

If we look at the book, the only relationship that lasted through the novel is the

relationship between Alice and Ben. Although their relationship is strictly platonic due to the

orientation and friendship they share. It doesn’t matter what happens, but it is because Ben and

Alice are so different that they stick together through everything. Alice spends her time

searching for herself, that being her Power, Sexuality, and even Gender. Ben is just as much a

supporting character to Alice, as Alice is for Ben. Alice has been able to all along be herself, and
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truly understand who she is when around Ben. When around Ben, she isn’t just going around

mindlessly sleeping with women. She actually discusses her life problems and vents to him,

confronting the demons in her life that keep her awake. Alice is a great depiction of what life

represents. It starts with a problem that is needed to be solved, and doing what can be done to

accomplish that problem or goal is life. That meaning by the end of the graphic novel, I feel

Alice has changed, even though she might not stay with Meredith forever, has found who she

truly is. That goal would not have been accomplished or seen through if it wasn’t for Ben being

by her side.

Works Cited

Napikoski, Linda. "Feminist Literary Criticism." ThoughtCo, 31. July 2017,

Thoughtco.com/feminist-literary-criticism-3528960.

Tomine, Adrian. ​Shortcomings.​ Drawn & Quarterly, 2007.