Living with Viola

In the past decade, there has been increased representation of diverse cultural communities in the mainstream media, as seen through shows such as Fresh Off the Boat, Kim’s Convenience, and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Literature for young readers has also reflected this growing representation of diversity. As a genre, graphic novels are relatively new in comparison to the well-established genres of picture books and novels. Rosena Fung’s first graphic novel, Living With Viola, is a welcome addition to this genre. Drawing on her personal experiences with anxiety and growing up as a child of Chinese immigrants, Fung provides a poignant and candid exploration of cultural differences and mental health as experienced through a young Chinese girl named Livy. Fung’s story’s text and illustrations complement each other to convey Livy’s story vividly for readers such that they can experience things through Livy’s eyes.

Although Livy’s experiences are influenced by her specific cultural circumstances, readers will readily relate to her as everyone has experienced feelings such as anxiety, shame, and loneliness. Besides adapting to a new school, Livy must contend with the challenge of making new friends, her desire to fit in, and the pressure of cultural expectations, particularly from her relatives. Contributing to these pressures are Livy’s mental health issues which are exacerbated by her circumstances and also shape how she responds to situations. Fung’s sensitive depiction of Livy’s struggles avoids the simplistic representation of someone who overcomes her problems and moves on with her life. Instead, the mental health challenges and cultural pressures that Livy faces will never fully go away, and she will have to deal with them on a continual basis. However, what she can control is to learn how to mitigate those problems and minimize their impact on her life. Fung’s depiction of Livy reveals that those problems are not predictable in how they manifest themselves nor are they readily solved. Instead, they take time, effort, and patience, as well as help from others.

Fung’s story highlights the importance of having a supportive network and environment. Livy does find solace through reading and drawing where she can immerse herself within the worlds that both of these creative mediums can evoke. However, this state is only temporary because her struggles infringe upon all aspects of her life, including the time that she spends with her family and friends. Livy’s struggles manifest psychologically as someone named “Viola,” who preys on her insecurities and exacerbates her mental state. For example, in one scene, Livy is indecisive about whether to continue working on her school project or to go and have fun with a couple of classmates. Viola then appears and says, “If you don’t go they’ll think you are so uncool.” As Livy feels increasingly alone and isolated in her attempts to cope, she descends into an unhealthy psychological and emotional state that threatens to engulf her.

Illustrations are central to the graphic novel genre which is characterized by stories that are told through a combination of text and image. As this book review is based on an advance copy of the book, only a fifth of the total pages are in full colour whereas the remaining illustrations are in black and white. Although incomplete in their colouring, these illustrations provide a good sense of Fung’s style. The book’s language is appropriate for its audience and coalesces effectively with its illustrations which feature solid lines and vibrant colours. Fung’s illustrations work with the text to depict Livy’s psychological and emotional struggles in a striking manner. For example, Fung conveys the oppressiveness and hopelessness that Livy feels when she is depressed by depicting Livy against a black background within which Viola—the psychological manifestation of Livy’s anxiety—swirls around with a sneering grin. When Livy’s schoolmates laugh at Livy, their laughter is visually depicted in huge letters as “HA HA HA”, stretching to the boundaries of the image frame.

As another example, Fung includes Livy and Viola in the same frame to convey a sense of psychological turmoil. The entire frame has a dark blue background against which Viola appears as a disembodied head with her mouth open while she says, “Heh heh heh. Welcome in, loser.” Viola’s head fills a third of the image frame and is surrounded by some flickering flames that are evocative of fire or hell. A flight of white stairs also leads right into Viola’s open mouth. In stark contrast, Livy is portrayed as a passive, small figure that is physically dwarfed by Viola. With her school backpack on, Livy’s bluish-coloured face has a sad expression, and she stands in a slouched manner with her class schedule in her limp hand. Livy is positioned in front of Viola’s disembodied head. These visual elements collectively evoke a power imbalance between Livy and Viola and convey the immense entrapment and depression that Livy feels.

As the plot progresses, Fung’s illustrations, which enhance the overall atmosphere and visual impact of Livy’s subsequent experiences, will encourage readers to empathize with her and imagine what it is like to be in her situation. For example, Livy feels depressed and isolated after she has dinner with her parents and relatives. In one frame, Viola towers over her and says mockingly, “Livy, why do you even try? It’s hopeless. You’re nothing.” The power imbalance between Livy and Viola is conveyed both in the positioning and size of these characters within the image frame. Later in the story, a multi-page sequence of images vividly conveys Livy’s descent into what appears to be a state of extreme depression. Livy feels like she is drowning and unable to cope anymore. Fung’s abundant use of black shading within this multi-page sequence enhances readers’ impression of Livy’s psychological turmoil.

In recurring episodes throughout the story, Fung conveys Viola’s omnipresence in Livy’s life and Livy’s attempts to cope on her own. When Livy keeps Viola at bay temporarily, the background scenery around Livy conveys a sense of serenity. Although she experiences moments of reprieve when Viola is absent or suppressed within her psyche, Livy eventually recognizes that she cannot cope on her own. When she opens herself up to being helped by others—and with the encouragement of her parents—Livy starts on the road to recovery.

The intersection of mental health and cultural struggles also makes this a compelling story. In depicting how mental health issues affect young people, Fung explores the complexities surrounding cultural identity and the different ways that it can be significant or meaningful for people. Being Chinese will differ depending on the person and contexts within which this heritage manifests through the expression of specific behaviours, mindsets, and attitudes. For example, Livy’s friend Charlotte identifies with her Chinese heritage, but she feels pressured by her family’s expectations about her grades and the types of occupations that she should pursue. Livy experiences similar pressures from her relatives who make her feel inadequate and inferior. Although Livy’s own parents are more open to her artistic interests, she feels pressured by them as well, particularly by her father. He expresses disapproval about pursuing art as an occupation and states, “Art is neither a sensible or stable career choice.” Instead, he mentions to Livy that she should take advantage of the opportunities available to her in Canada and pursue a more practical occupation, such as being a doctor or lawyer, which will enable her to live comfortably.

Livy’s insecurities are heightened because she is self-conscious about her family’s socioeconomic status. When she visits Charlotte’s house and sees how well off her family is, Livy feels inferior and ashamed of her own family as they are less well off by comparison. In contrast to Charlotte’s parents, they do not have high-paying jobs. Livy does not feel like mentioning that she wants to be an artist because she is afraid that Charlotte’s parents, just like her father, will not approve.

Besides these topics, Fung’s book provides readers with some insight into Chinese culture through its cuisine which also becomes as a significant part of the story. Cuisine is a marker of cultural expression that also gives Livy a temporary respite from her insecurities and anxiety because she associates positive thoughts with it. However, food becomes a marker of Livy’s difference from her peers and her status as a cultural outsider. For example, when she eats her fried rice with chopped salty fish and chicken, her classmate Beth comments, “It smells like my brother’s gym shoes.” Livy immediately feels ashamed, and her feelings manifest as Viola who preys on her fears. Livy feels different from others because of her food and believes that she needs to reject that cuisine to fit in with her peers. As she tells her mother, the others eat “normal lunches”, and she would like to have the same. The consumption of food, itself, also becomes a marker of socioeconomic status that increases Livy’s insecurities about her family. When Livy eats dinner at Charlotte’s house, Charlotte and her parents are using forks and knives rather than chopsticks. For Livy, these utensils signify the acculturation of Charlotte’s family into “mainstream” Western culture whereas her family’s usage of chopsticks represents their cultural difference.

While Living With Viola deals with serious topics, Fung’s inclusion of humour and ordinary day-to-day activities enhances her story’s realism and the portrayal of Livy as a character. For example, Livy’s teacher makes corny jokes, and Livy also has some enjoyable moments when she hangs out with her new friends or takes part in leisure activities. During one outing with Beth and Maddy, Livy has tea with them and also buys friendship bracelets. In another scene, Livy and her mother go to the library where she happily browses the shelves and borrows more of her favourite books. Despite her struggles, Livy is still a young girl who juggles different aspects of her life—her classes, her home life, and her interactions with friends. She experiences the same emotions and insecurities that many other children face.

Although the publisher’s press release indicates that this book is suitable for the nine to twelve age group, its ease of readability and subject matter would make it appealing for both younger readers and older audiences. For younger readers, parents or teachers could help them to understand the subject material and start a conversation about the book’s themes. Older audiences could appreciate the book as well because Livy’s struggles and experiences are not childhood-specific and could also be experienced by adults, albeit in perhaps a different manner.

Living with Viola will be a worthy addition to any library’s collection of graphic novels or Asian-themed works for younger readers. In the classroom, teachers could include this book into a course or unit about graphic novels or as part of a unit about contemporary representations of Asian communities in Canadian literature. The variety of issues that the book covers will make it readily accessible to be analyzed or discussed on different levels. For example, it can also be analyzed through a cultural lens in terms of issues around the multifaceted nature of identity and the intersection of multiple factors that shape one’s self-perceptions. However, teachers could initiate a discussion with students about the book’s broader topics, such as what it means to grow up as a young person today and the struggles that young people may experience when they relocate to a new neighbourhood and school.

Rosena Fung grew up in Toronto, Ontario, where she is currently based. An illustrator and comic artist, she has previously self-published the comics Eating Time and Spin the Bottle. Her editorial clients include The Globe and Mail, and her work has also been featured on CBC Docs and CBC Arts. Besides drawing, she teaches illustration and tables at zine fairs. More information about Rosena Fung’s work is available on her official website.