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Analysis In a typical Keene trick, we are thrust into a world that, while suggestive of a concrete physical space (in this case, a bathroom), has no real physical definition. It floats in a nether world anchored only by the floor. The implication is that this is a neutral space devoid of any emotional trappings. This comes into play later, and indeed, gives the strip it's power. The child is on the scale. He is being weighed. Put another way, the child is being measured. The child knows this and gazes intently at the scale. What will the outcome be? Has his worth decreased? Has his burden become too great? His slightly raised eyebrow clues us in to his skepticism. The whole proceeding is a farce. Weight has been chosen as some random guideline for the worth of this child. The mother, dressed in psuedo Goth clothing, leans over to observe. By following the line of her eye, it becomes clear that she cannot and more than likely does not see the dial of the scale. In fact, she is looking beyond the frame of the cartoon towards some other goal that is unseen. She does not need to see the scale. She has made up her mind what the outcome will be. The purple color of the Goth-style shirt, suggests royalty. She is the queen and she knows it. The child's green footies indicate an all-encompassing jealously that will likely play out as rebellion and overthrow of the Gothic queen. The queen knows this. She will need to takes steps to quash this rebellion, to put the child in his proper place. The text ties this together. "Your days of being lifted overhead are numbered, young man." The subtext is the adulation which once flowed so freely will stop. He will no longer be regarded as a champion, as the shining golden boy. Indeed, he may well be a traitor. She has caught on to his plot. "Things will change," she states clearly, "This is the end." She has lured him to this neutral space on purpose. The neutrality only serves to heighten the message the Goth Queen has delivered - "There are no more neutral spaces. All space is my space." |
