Week 12 - "This One Summer" Is Amazing

"This One Summer" completely nails what it’s like to be a young girl who just wants to feel included but not having the maturity to be a part of anything. It is a coming-of-age story with the theme of women.

This comic is an absolute gem. This is a story only women can write because it’s deeply personal without being uncomfortably invasive. 

When you’re young and you see teenagers in a group, you’re curious as to what they’re talking about. You know your boundaries, but you’ll take any opportunities to fit in. 

You’re also in this weird period where you’re socially aware of where you and others stand but are still too young to understand why those boundaries exist; you just know not to cross them. Between these gaps is the level of emotional complexity. She is too young to understand the trauma her mother is going through. She justifies her frustration towards her (and girls in general) based on how other people treat each other.

At one point, Rose concludes that women are the source of problems, based on what she sees and hears from her environment. She’s just a kid, and she doesn’t know how to form her own opinion. 

It hits deep because when you finally reach the point of thinking for yourself, a lot of self-doubts happens. This theme hits deep because sometimes I find myself nitpicking the nature of women, and even doubting the capabilities of women, even though I’m a girl myself. The better part of me knows that women are just as capable as men, but it takes years to eradicate an idea you were once convinced was true/untrue. It’s just interesting how equally valuable our emotions are against ethics and reasoning, even when our personal experiences are so biased. 

There are two types of kids: the “Rose” kids, whose ideals are shaped based on what they’re told, and the “Windy” kids, whose ideals are shaped based solely on what they’ve experienced. Just like in real life, things just happen and are digested, but it’s up to you to decide how you want to view something. Some are just more easily swooned than others.