Meaning of Life and Br Essay

Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba illustrated a story through comics that represent different moods and feelings in a series titled Daytripper. Comic books are a form of art, and they provide the reader with a broad spectrum of topics. Artist express the world through colors, symbols, and themes to show feelings, thoughts, and ideas and this can be done through various forms of art, which includes comic books. The illustrations in comic books help to convey the meaning of the story. In Daytripper, Moon and Ba describe Bras de Oliva Domingo’s life and how choices produce outcomes both good and bad. At a young age Bras believes that anything is possible, and one never knows what is in store for him at the end. His philosophy in life are the same principles as in fishing as one casts a line the excitement builds because one never knows what is on the end of the line. Water is reoccurring in the story, and it symbolizes Bras de Oliva Domingo’s struggles to stay above water through his sea of memories of his life. In the beginning, Bras feels there are no boundaries and one can explore as many opportunities life has to offer. Life’s daily decisions shape the outcomes both good and bad. The purpose is to learn from one’s past decisions and make changes improve our relationships and to be content with our lives in the end. The main character has ample opportunity to make changes along his journey for he experiences death at each phase of his life. Bras discovers endless possibilities from the seas from Iemanja, the spirit of the waters, in a dream they are riding in a boat through rough seas being tossed around with baskets that represent wishes and desires. Moon and Ba illustrate how in Bras dreams his life’s goals are laid out as he wishes. Just as water flows in and out, Bras dreams come in and out each night in his sleep. Bras flows through life just like water flows in and out never knowing where it will end up. Rougher waves represent new opportunities that continuously arise, but if one waits to long to take advantage of the opportunity then the waves may carry away the opportunity. As waves are continuously moving new chances will be present time and time again. Bras misses many opportunities because he is not willing â€Å"to go after his dreams† (203). His dreams tell him time is running out, and he needs to make the most of his opportunities. Each dream ends with â€Å"wake up before it’s too late† (203). Bras dreams about his possibilities and wishes he could take a chance to change his life, but he never does. Bras is just an observer in his dreams watching as the water passes by carrying the baskets. The dark colors and spirit of the waters are a main part of the artwork in the comic. Bras has responsibilities to his job and his wife, and he is content with both just cruising through each day. His life is similar to the ocean how the waves move along to the shore and effortlessly move back out to sea. He learns lessons along the way which he has no control and finds his wife frustrated with him from living a content and everyday life. Illustrations show water running full blast when they are not doing dishes or running any water. She later clinches the sink that is overflowing with water because Bras does not understand their life has joy and love. She wants her life to be less stressful so that the sink will stop overflowing. Just by Bras listening to his wife the water pressure will lessen, and the sink will not fill as quickly. Bras turns a deaf ear and does not listen, and the water just flows over the kitchen sink onto the floor. The overflow of water represents her stress, and he comes to realize he can help decrease the stress by making a few simple changes. She keeps trying to explain to him she cannot do it all on her own while he just sits there and listens. The overflow of water represents the burdens she feels by their life and needs Bras help to alleviate some of the daily pressures from her. As she pours him tea, the water flows up to the dining room table, and he finally understands her frustration over his laziness. At this point, Bras realizes by helping his family they will not be so overwhelmed and the water will stop overflowing. Just as the seas calm at times, Bras too feels tranquility at the end of his life. One late night he steps in the ocean and stares at the sky as it changes from dark and ordinary to a burst of stars symbolizing the calmness of the night. The peacefulness of the water helps Bras feel satisfied with his life. He feels at peace with his relationships with his dad, wife, and son. He smiles as he looks out on the calm ocean accepting his final destiny to be swept away by the sea. He stands in the water thinking for a long time accepting his fate, and the calm water represents he is at harmony with his life. The reader is left to complete his fate, which may just be Bras swimming out as far as he can until he the water carries him out to sea. The story connects water and life as a cycle that is continuously flowing. Water represents constant change just as one’s life changes through the years. Psychiatrists have used water for years as a representation of one’s mind because the deeper you go the more problems one may see. The ocean represents power and strength and people have the same characteristics. Every day we make choices and some outcomes can be predicted and others cannot. The beauty of the ocean is the unknown and change and how the meaning relates to life. One can change their behavior and possibly the outcome may change. It all is part of the cycle of life. Works Cited Moon, Fabio and Gabriel Ba. Daytripper. New York: DC Comics, 2011.