Hi, my name is Catalina. I would describe myself as an average high school student just trying to navigate around through school life and my personal life in general. To me, high school is a place where is a place where everyone is still growing and learning who they are, but one’s personal experience depends on what they make it out to be. I’m the student that’s always sleep deprived, and is probably rushing or studying/ panicking for a homework assignment or test next period. Although I don’t have any experiences that are “life changing” or “thought provoking,” everyone will have their personal experiences with struggles of their own that shapes a person who they are. In El deafo, the main character, a bunny named Cece, unexpectedly starts to lose her hearing, essentially making her gradually become an “outcast” because of this disability. Cece struggles with her self confidence as a result, where she feels lost and secluded compared to her friends at school.

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Logos: If you enjoy reading the slice of life genre, I recommend reading El deafo! If you’ve read “Sunny Side Up” by Jennifer L Holm, I believe this comic has a similar ambience to El deafo, but instead it is more anxiety induced, rather than feeling annoyed. I remember reading both of these comics in the same month while in elementary. Even though I most likely didn’t understand the message of the comic fully in depth, I still enjoyed it, as it showed me how everyone shows their emotions and expresses their feelings differently. Reading both comics again now that I’m older, I noticed how a lot of the slice of life comics/ books I’ve read show how problems are inevitable in life, no matter how big or small.

Pathos: As you read through the book, you’ll notice how Cece oftenly becomes ,more misunderstood and mistreated because of her ability to comprehend what everyone is saying. Personally, the emotions Cece experiences, social anxiety, self confidence, and the fear of “ruining everything” feel relatable, so I’m able to empathize with Cece. The thing that makes me want to keep reading these slice of life comics/ books is how it’s like you’re experiencing someone else’s life and going through their problems without actually having experience them in real life. In contrast, dealing with he same problems a character may face in a comic or book is always much more complicated because it is REAL LIFE!! By reading comics like El deafo, it can give you more insight and perspective of another’s struggles in life. Moreover, situations in slice of life comics are often flexible and are able to mask as problems one would face in the real world, giving you/ making you think of possible options or endings of what would happen, and how to better deal with them instead.

Repetition: Throughout the comic, the use of Cece’s hearing aids her shown in yellow text bubbles and LARGE AND EXAGGERATTED TEXTS. I thought this was cool how the author was able to incorporate the difference between what Cece hears, and the normal white texts of what everyone else is hearing/ saying. These texts are also able emphasize the hardships and annoyances that Cece will experience multiple times throughout the day.