giant

by Saily Marrero

Inspired by her own brother’s diagnosis with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Mollie Ray’s giant illustrates a story about a family coping with a teenage boy’s life-threatening illness.

Because this is a wordless graphic novel, there is no text that tells us what disease is causing his giant size. However, the images Ray provides are commonly seen with people receiving chemotherapy, a treatment used to treat cancer patients. On pages 82 and 74-75, we see the giant connected to an IV bag with medicine and see the contents of the bag slowly being drained across several panels before starting again (Ray, 2024). This shows the reader the passage of time as well as the lengthy medical treatment the giant must endure. In two different moments, we see the giant feeling nausea and curled up next to a toilet (Ray, 2024, p. 62-63), and we see him lose his scales and become completely scale-less, a stand in for hair loss (Ray, 2024, p. 93-99). Both nausea and hair loss are common side effects experienced by chemotherapy patients as explained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI, ([Anon], 2015). Therefore, readers can assume the giant’s illness is some form of cancer.

giant, pages 82, 74 – 75

The story also shows the importance of having support in navigating a deadly illness. At the beginning of the giant’s treatment, he is visibly upset and scared to go to the hospital until his sister and mother hold his hand to show support during the process. In another instance, when the giant becomes completely scale-less, one of his siblings accompanies him and shaves off his own scales to provide both support and solidarity (Ray, 2024, p. 99). So, although he is the only one with the disease, his family is right there beside him in his journey to recovery.

In a story about a teen suddenly becoming a giant, the size of characters and panels matter. The giant size the character transforms into is a physical manifestation of the illness he is battling. It is a reminder that cancer is a “disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably” ([Anon], 2007), similar to the giant in the story.  It’s how we, the reader, know he is sick. At the same time, it is a visual representation of the space and toll it takes on both the giant and his family. In one of the more moving scenes in the book, the mother figure is seen crying alone in the laundry room after a long day of taking care of everyone in the household. Having a life-threatening illness is undoubtedly stressful for the individual, but Ray reminds us of the stress it brings to the family as a whole too. As the author explains on her website the giant “acts as three metaphors: the physical mutation of cancer; the idea of feeling like the ‘elephant in the room’; but also, the ‘giant’ strength he takes away with him following his recovery” (Ray, 2024)

Moreover, the size of the panels also demonstrates the significance of certain scenes in the story. On page 42 when the giant reads his positive diagnosis, the panel shrinks to less than half the page, making him look small (Ray, 2024). On the following pages, 44 & 45, the size of the envelope with the positive sign takes the entirety of both pages, showing the readers the importance of this moment (Ray, 2024).

The illustrations are exclusively black and white and created with a ballpoint pen. Ray’s characters are best described as adorable humanoid scaly blob people with very expressive eyes. Whether it’s a tear escaping, or eyes tightly shut from anger, or shadows underneath their eyes to express fatigue, the reader can easily decipher the emotions the characters are feeling.

In an interview with Broken Frontier, Ray stated “Although of course, the graphic novel is aimed at those who have faced or are facing cancer, the book is largely for those whose loved one is facing or faced cancer” (Oliver, 2021). She later adds, “Despite my story being about cancer, I would hope that with the graphic novel being silent, that anyone who has experienced a traumatic illness of a loved one having a traumatic illness, would be able to relate to it and project their own story onto it” (Oliver, 2021). To this, I would add it’s an accessible story for all ages including children, although it would be best to read it with a parent or trusted adult in case, they have any questions about the sensitive topics Ray explores in her story.

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Saily Marrero, M.S.I. is the Nursing & Health Studies, Psychology, and Biology Librarian at the University of Miami. She enjoys reading Graphic Novels and Romance.

Reference list

Oliver, A. (2021). “Visual Metaphors and Analogies Allow Me to Make Sense of Things” – Mollie Ray on Creative Process, Graphic Medicine and Her Upcoming Graphic Novel ‘Giant’ from Faber & Faber – Broken Frontier. Retrieved April 18, 2024 from https://www.brokenfrontier.com/mollie-ray-giant-faber-two-stones/

Ray, M. (2024). Giant. Faber & Faber.

Ray, M. (2024). Giant. Retrieved April 18, 2024 from http://www.mollieray.co.uk/giant.html

[Anon]. (2007, 09/17/2007 – 08:00). What Is Cancer? – NCI. National Cancer Institue,. Retrieved April 15, 2024 from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer

[Anon]. (2015, 04/29/2015 – 08:00). Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer – NCI. Retrieved April 15, 2024 from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/chemotherapy#chemotherapy-can-cause-side-effects