I decided to select the song "Run the World" by Beyonce because I felt that it truly represented the idea of defying gender stereotypes. In this comic series, the girls are portrayed as being strong, adventurous young women who face many different obstacles and creatures throughout their journey. Additionally, the reader may have picked up on some homosexual undertones when Ripley kisses one of the girls during "CPR" to resuscitate her. This moment is very subtle, as the only remarkable aspect of this happening is the fact that both girls are blushing. Had this narrative been presented in a traditional way (non-graphic novel), it would have been more difficult for the reader to pick up on this theme. Additionally, the pledge encourages the girls "to solemnly swear to do their best everyday and in all that they do to be brave and strong, to be interesting and interested, to respect nature, to pay attention and question the world around them, to think of others first and to always help and protect their friends and to make the world a better place." This pledge not only serves the purpose of acting as a moral code for the Lumberjanes, but also encourages the girls to empower themselves and each other. For this reason, I feel that "Run the World" is a very fitting song choice for this graphic novel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VBmMU_iwe6U

Fighting Gender Stereotypes in Lumberjanes

Elizabeth Vlasyuk
21 March 2017
Category A Prompt A

In chapter four, there is the scene when the Lumberjanes are in the boys camp and the camp counselor shows up questioning "What in the bejabbers is going on here? I thought I heard a tea kettle. Pathetic." This occurs after the boys help the Lumberjanes out of the poison ivy and prepare tea and cookies fro them while they recover. In this scene, we find out that the boys like baking, making tea and keeping things clean. We also see a stark contrast to the Lumberjanes. Before being introduced to the boys, I didn't notice the girls as having characteristics that are usually associated with boys, as I, myself, love being adventurous, brave, clever; however, once being introduced to the boys, I saw this contrast between the two, that show the typical gender stereotypes having been swapped. I find this as a statement on fighting gender stereotypes that is meant to empower adolescents to be who they are and not conform to typical social norms.

Category A. Prompt B

Category A. Prompt B

One of the novel’s main motifs is friendship. The characters even have a catchphrase they say to show the audience that: “Friendship to the Max”. Towards the end of chapter one is where we first hear one of the girls say this phrase. The girls are explaining to the head of the camp why their camp counselor is upset with them, and in the second to last frame on the text we read, “So Jo and I woke up all of our friends because FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX obviously and we went after it and then there were foxes and here we are”. Another indicator that this motif is central to the plot of the book is the fact that the girls are always together. They never separate or divide themselves into teams. The novel’s obvious reference to the American Girl Scout organization, further cements the motif to the reader that this will be a friendship inspired book. Girl Scouts are known for going camping and using teamwork to sell the most cookies. These events girls scouts are known for are meant to help them bond as friends and teach them valuable life lessons. This motif of friendship complicates the reading of the passage because it feels like this theme is overdone and it made me suspicious as a reader that their friendship would be tested. To my surprise though their friendship wasn’t tested directly. They did prove their incredible friendship with their amazing feats, like defeating the river monster and convincing the yeti’s to help them. I guess, we’ll see more tests of their friendships in later volumes of the story. 

Anagrams and Hidden Meanings in Lumberjanes

Vasili Birlidis
Category A, prompt C

Comic books are not known for their dialogue or written word, but Lumberjanes is unique in that it features several passages of longform writing as bookends for each issue (or in the trade paperback we read, "chapter"). However, the most obvious and essential literary device occurs within the illustrated adventure itself in Chapter Three: in trying to escape the ancient underground temple, the Lumberjanes encounter a wall of anagrams. Molly realizes that the foxes' warning from Chapter One - "beware the kitten holy" - is not a metaphor or pun, but an anagram for "in the tower by the lake."

Being a comic book aimed at younger audiences, Lumberjanes features a couple semi-educational sequences (especially in Chapter Three), including one about the Fibonacci sequence and this one on anagrams. It gently introduces the topic to readers while making it integral to the plot and therefore necessary. The anagram "in the tower by the lake" directly sets up all of Chapter Four, where the Lumberjanes escape from an all-boys' camp to explore the lighthouse tower.

Anagrams are an arrangement of letters that hide a true meaning. This concept of something veiling something else represents Lumberjanes' first volume as a whole. The Lumberjanes program name evokes a female lumberjack, aptly describing how Lumberjanes is a critique of both Girl Scouts USA and Boy Scouts of America's divided gender roles. Molly performs CPR on Mal after she almost drowns, saving her life but also thinly veiling what could be a lesbian kiss that might otherwise harm the book's sales nationwide early into the series' run (note the two characters' blushing). The replacing of "girls" with "hardcore lady-types" is humorous but also responds to the idea that girl is lingustically a lesser term for women, and "lady-types" may be a way of acknowledging transwomen and non-binary persons.

Lumberjanes packs a lot of visual satire and double meanings into its pages, but so far it has also exhibited careful use of the English language in a way that is often overlooked.

Ashley Noel

Lumberjanes

Category A-1

I solemnly swear to do my best

Every day, and in all that I do,

To be brave and strong,

To be truthful and compassionate,

To be interesting and interested,

To pay attention and question

The world around me,

To think of others first,

To always help and protect my friends

(Then there’s a line about God, or whatever)

And to make the world a better place

For Lumberjane scouts

And for everyone else.

The Lumberjanes Pledge is a great representation of what this comic is about. The main characters Jo, April, Molly, Ripley, and Mal are strong, creative young girls that defy society’s gender norms.Each character embodies the promise of the pledge through their actions in the comic. The first topic the pledge introduces is bravery. These five girl traverse the forest at night with little fear, encounter ferocious magical beasts. While the comic has magical elements to it, the girls are portrayed as normal. They don’t have superpowers in the traditional strength. Molly’s defeat of the stone guard in an armwrestling match isn’t due to her super strength. The underlying message is that girls can be strong and that isn’t weird or supernatural. This depiction increases female agency and relates a message to a young audience of girls that they too can be like the lumberjanes. Compassion and Truth pervades the text as the girls are on the their investigation and in their handling of Ripley. Ripley is an energetic young girl who would be deemed as strange by society conventions. Her random, comedic outbursts are handled with care as the girls never make Ripley feel stupid. She is in a same space where she can expresses herself without judgment. Interest. The girls are so inquisitive, a quality that society almost beats out of girls. They aren’t complacent with simple answers. The whole comic is based on their interest in the mysteries of their environment. Selflessness and Friendship. Attentive to each other, the girls value their friendship greatly. Their motto of “friendship to the max” supports female unity instead of competition. Even when their grouchy cabin master Jen is in danger, the girls still protect her because above everything they care about people. Religion. The cross off about religion really highlights that this comic is a personal manual. Young children don’t really have a true understanding of God or a persona connection with religion that isn’t mandated by their relatives. The cross off isn’t disrespectful just more realistic. The last line resonates the most: “And to make the world a better place for Lumberjane scouts and everyone else.” The heroic, creative, and intelligent action of the girls show an audience of the true power of a girl. They took everything society says girls can’t be and proved it wrong. Girls can be smart, strong, brave, compassion, and selfless. These facets aren’t in competition. They can be in harmony and thus make the world a better place. 

Ripley's from the Lumberjane's Instagram

The Lumberjanes

Category B - A

Ripley's Instagram

Ripley, being the youngest in the group of Lumberjanes, is clearly the most energetic one. She is always the first one to literally launch herself into any dangerous and adventurous situation. I thought that if Ripley were to have an Instagram account, then her optimism and naivety would show far more than her other characteristics. The first picture I chose was one of all the Lumberjanes; they all clearly have a love for each other and Ripley is no different, as we see when she dives into the dangerous waters of the rivers in order to help her friends. I also decided to include a picture of a kitty; Ripley is constantly mentioning the “Holy Kitten” and instead of being frightened by this mystical creature, she is always mentioning how much she loves kittens. This is a clear indicator of her age and naivety. The last picture I included in her Instagram was of a shark in a river; when this scene was included, I couldn’t help but to think if there was a possibility of a shark living in fresh water, and to my surprise, Ripley was right with her assumption: it is possible. I think making it seem as though she encountered a shark in a river would not only add to her adventurous nature but would showcase her intelligence. I followed the caption by adding, “now to find a whale,” as another example of her optimism and adventure seeking love.

Lumberjanes Category A Prompt 4

The Lumberjanes focus on issues of gender identity. Throughout the series the characters, a groups of five girls and their leaders in a summer camp, buck the system when it comes to expectations of people of a certain gender. Beyond this, the phrases, exclamations, and framing for the stories also bucks the system.

In the first chapter of the story, the passage I will examine for the purpose of this reflection, the action is loosely related to Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of telling about a little girl who is lured into the woods and eaten by a wolf and ultimately saved by a male woodsman, the action surrounds a group of five female bunkmates who fight and win against a group of mutant wolves. The restructuring of the story itself fights gender norms. The girls do not shy away from the conflict, in fact they fight when the plan was to not fight, and they are not frightened. One of the girls says they were by the river earlier and they left because there were many spiders. She describes the spiders as “boring” not gross, creepy, etc.

During times of extreme emotion the girls often use exclamations. The author of the story employs a clever device in these moments, allowing the girls to shout “Joan Jett!” or “Oh my Bessie Coleman” and invoking the spirits of powerful women who went against the grain as rockstars and aviators.

The head of the camp is Rosie and she is the incarnation of Rosie the Riveter. She wears a red bandana, she is curvy, she has tattoos, and she does NOT condemn the curiosity of the scouts. Instead of assuming the role of a schoolmarm or the like she listens to the campers and wants to hear more about what they saw while explaining that the woods hold mystery and danger of which they should be aware – and chopping a piece of wood on her desk.

Lumberjanes has so far proven to be an excellent read that reframes society for something more inclusive to female readers, leaving typical male-centric language and situations behind.

"Lumberjanes" - Category B, Prompt D

Lumberjanes walks the reader through adolescent aspects of friendship that are unique to each character. Because of the group's strong connection to one on another, I felt that Bill Withers' classic, "Lean on Me" is appropriate for my selected passage. I chose to focus on page 72 specifically, along with the five pages following. In this passage, Mal comforts Molly. Molly shares that, "there's a lot happening in my brain right now," and this quote reveals the struggle an adolescent girl experiences, especially under pressure (Molly had just 'freaked out' at Mal's bruise before they entered the dome with the hidden message.) Mal consoles Molly -- the illustrations depict Mal holding Molly's shoulder and asking her if she, "wanted to talk about it?" "Lean on Me" is an appropriate song to pair with Molly's distress as Mal offers her help and comfort. This is a serious, not satirical, interpretation of the song. The lyrics sing, "lean on me, when you're not strong and I'll be your friend," and this is what Mal is telling Molly. Mal's appearance is punk but her personality and characteristics are sensitive. Mal has a crush on Molly, and because Bill Withers likely wrote this song for a romantic interest, the song is even more appropriate. There's an element of intimacy as he sings, "You just call on me brother, when you need a hand, We all need somebody to lean on, I just might have a problem that you'll understand, We all need somebody to lean on," as though he, or Mal, truly wants to comfort their friend/individual whom they have feelings for. If Lumberjanes were a movie, and "Lean on Me" was played, it would be fitting overall, but especially fitting in this scene as Mal is physically and emotionally supportive of Molly's confused and somewhat depressed state of mind. 

Lumberjanes: Music Selection

                While I was reading this story I always felt lie it would be paced like a cartoon network animated show. I thought that the scene of the comic where the characters are solving a mystery or inside a strange situation could use an ambient theme. I chose a song called Patzivota from Cirque du Soleil’s show Varekai:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoPVRP30m_4

                The songs melodic theme continually repeats through the song and is played off different styles and emotions of music as the song progresses. This song, as well as the other songs from Varekai, are inherently mysterious as people debate what language the songs are supposed to be in. Even though the song has several sections with different instrumentation and key changes, I think this song could be useful to bring up to symbolize things like the overarching mystery of the series. It could be used in several scences, like when they pick up the eye char, decode the anagram, and find the bow in the lighthouse. 

The Use of Epigraph’s in Lumberjanes

In Lumberjanes, the field manual chapter page before each new section of the graphic novel, describes and foreshadows the content of that section. For example, the first chapter is the “Up all Night” badge for which a Lumberjane must “have enjoyed the first wind of a new day with the moon above her head and without sleep, energetically explored the new possibility of viewing the world under the moon”. While the description of the badge that the manual provides does describe what the girls end up doing by the end of the chapter, in mentioning that a Lumberjane must learn “how to work against the unnatural and supernatural forces that a Lumberjane is bound to confront”, it is the brief quote below the name of the corresponding badge that is most telling of the adventure to come.

The first epigraph reads “Learn what goes bump in the night”, and accordingly it is the sound of the wolves that first sees all the girls together and launches their “all night” adventure. In the second section the epigraph reads “Because drowning is a scary way to go” and in the section Mal literally does drown and it is CPR (kind of but not really) that ends up saving her life.The manual reads the the “Naval Gauging Badge” requires that a Lumberjane, among other things, know how to “row, pole, scull, and steer a boat; also bring a boat properly alongside and make fast”, as well as “the importance of a life preserver, CPR, and the basic understanding of how to respond to emergency situations” skills which the girls use to rescue each other (although Ripley truly displays the best emergency response of all in her causal saving of Mal’s life). This use of this literary device in accompaniment with the field manual is present in each section and more often than not, an exact description of the events to come can be found on that manual page, although how those events come to pass is not nearly as predictable.

Pledge Song for Lumberjanes

Brave" by Sara Bareilles

You can be amazing
You can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug
You can be the outcast
Or be the backlash of somebody's lack of love
Or you can start speaking up

Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do
When they settle 'neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave

Everybody's been there,
Everybody's been stared down by the enemy
Fallen for the fear
And done some disappearing,
Bow down to the mighty
Don't run, just stop holding your tongue

Maybe there's a way out of the cage where you live
Maybe one of these days you can let the light in
Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

And since your history of silence
Won't do you any good,
Did you think it would?
Let your words be anything but empty
Why don't you tell them the truth?

Say what you wanna say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
With what you want to say
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave

I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I just wanna see you
I wanna see you be brave


In relation to the Lumberjane's pledge (page 27),  I think "Brave" by Sara Barreilles would be a great song to compliment it because they both place importance on the qualities of bravery and honesty. In essence, this pledge calls them to be the best version of themselves, to be courageous in the face of fear, and to stand up for one another. The pledge says "I solemnly swear to do my best, Every day, And in all that I do, To be brave and strong..." (page 27). Bravery is the first (and perhaps the most important) quality that pledgers are called to embody. This song is all about being brave and bold, calling us all to "say what you wanna say" without fear. That line of the song and others like "Why don't you tell them the truth?" echo the appeal towards being truthful, which is called for in the pledge right after bravery. Essentially, both the pledge and the song ask for bravery and truth, expressing them as sources of strength for those willing to answer to the call. 

Lumberjanes: Category B, Prompt B

After the girls encounter the foxes who tell them "beware the kitten holy," a lot of their energy was spent trying to figure out what it meant. Weird things keep happening to the girls throughout the book, and they are possibly linked to this "kitten holy." I thought this meme was perfect because it definitely seems that "resistance is futile" and the kitten is wreaking havoc on the camp and other nearby camps.

I thought this meme was funny because of how well it related to Jen and the camper's relationship. Friendships and leader/camper relationships are an important theme throughout the novel. There were several different versions of this meme but this one definitely best relates to Lumberjanes. While a camp counselor might seem like a fun summer job to outsiders, Jen feels like she constantly has to babysit the girls. Also, the girls feel like she is way too strict, which ties in to the "what my campers think I do" section of this meme. I think the last picture is funny because it seems as if it could be from the point of view of a counselor being surrounded by campers. This is so relatable to Lumberjanes because in the beginning the girls are always ganging up and plotting against Jen as a team. 

This meme fits the girl's poison ivy situation perfectly. It also demonstrates the idea that they are all in this together. If one of them gets into trouble, they are all going down (including Jen).

I wanted to include a meme on the Fibonacci sequence because I thought it was great that Jo knew this and was able to solve the problem. Also, this meme can relate to almost everything in the novel. Adventures are always "escalating quickly." The girls go from canoeing in the river to getting thrown around by a sea monster and the boys camp goes from serving cookies and tea to trying to attack the girls. 

Category A Prompt 1

On page 27, Jo delivers the Lumberjanes pledge. The pledge is,

“I solemnly swear to do my best

Every day, And in all that I do,

To  be brave and strong,

To be truthful and compassionate,

To be interesting and interested,

To respect nature,

To pay attention and question

The world around me,

To think of others first,

To always help and protect my friends

Then there’s a line about god or whatever

And to make the world a better place

For Lumberjane scouts

And for everyone else.”

Page 4 also contains the Lumberjanes pledge along with a message from the Lumberjanes High Council. A line from the message reads, “It was at a Lumberjanes camp that we found our life’s calling and the power of the tradition of helping you girls grow into the powerful ladies that they are.” It goes on to say, “This handbook is meant to guide you on your path as a Lumberjane, as a friend, and as a human being.” These two quotes expound on the pledge which contains the main concern of the novel. Lumberjanes is concerned with friendship, personal development, and what it means to be a young woman. The novel contains well-written, well-developed characters. Each character is distinct and each character is a woman. However, none of which are completely like what a young woman is stereotypically expected to be. The Lumberjane pledge makes it clear that each scout is to think of others first, make the world a better place, ask questions, and keep learning. These are not pledges that are exclusive to women. The novel shows that to be a young woman is to be a human being first. They are not burdened by society’s expectations of what a young woman should be but are becoming “powerful ladies” by pursuing the decrees of the pledge which are guiding them not just as a Lumberjane but also as a friend and human being. Lumberjanes is about friendship and embracing who you are as an individual. This is made all the more clear when the Lumberjanes are introduced to the Scouting Lads. While the campers of the Scouting Lads seem to break the mold of typical young boys, the camp director holds them to stereotypical standards. The camp director questions why the Lumberjanes are there and belittles them for helping women. This goes against the Lumberjane pledge. The Lumberjane scouts are not just about making the world a better place for women but making the world a better place for everyone.