Black woman takes on the "System"
Summary and scans can be found here
The Good
The story of Martha Washington is a “Story of survival”. While I couldn’t relate to her childhood in a maximum security ghetto. I found the exaggerated nature of her experiences a fitting choice to highlight the problems inherent in American society. The treatment of blacks came to mind as did the civil rights movement.
I also found the security of the little girl to be bone chilling and eye opening. As exaggerated and face paced as these experiences where, they were real. Things like this happen all around us everyday and just like here the perpetrators of rape, abduction and those inflicting irreversible trauma on our children go unpunished each day. It’s a chilling reality brought to life in a story where hope is dead.
Martha is a survivor of the highest caliber. Surviving the abduction and rape and even the death of her only role model to finally getting revenge on the man who raped her all very powerful images.
How Martha survives is all based on her iron will. Almost killed on the street she refuses to die and kills her attacker joins the army and survives a mustard gassing much like the Ethiopians experienced from Mussolini during WW2.
Miller chooses imagery that remain relevant even today.
Her escape from the ghetto also remains us why those who live there will do just about anything to escape. It’s a prison not just physically but also for the mind.
The mystery of who the mutated children were leaves us with something to look forward to as things progress as does her two intensely traumatic experiences experiences, abduction and rape+Murder of her mentor and rapist. The racist traitor will no doubt become a future thorn in her side.
Great and consistent art from start to finish.
The Bad
The graphic nature of the story may offend some. Also the meaning of some of the imagery will mean nothing to those unfamiliar with the source reference. Other may find the corruption of America not their kind of stories I know some “patriots” think such a tale is ridiculous.
The exaggeration of the living ares and conditions of the black people here will be lambasted as pure fiction especially if you have never seen a ghetto in America.
Tale is honest to god not for everyone.
The Ugly
5/5 for bringing home the survival of one woman against “the system”