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It takes a village to raise a child

                                                 

I decided to recreate the cover of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. The book needed more than just a tombstone in my opinion. I decided to draw a graveyard gate as it plays a significant role in Bod’s life. To me, the gate marks the boundary of Bod’s daily life during his childhood. The gate both symbolizes security and limitation in Bod’s life. The graveyard gate protects Bod from the outside world that he is not used to. A vampire named Silas is assigned to help the Owenses watch and care for Bod. In chapter two Silas mentions to Bod that “It's only in the graveyard that we can keep you safe.” As Bod gets older his curiosity grows with him. He wants to venture out into the world beyond the graveyard, but Silas knows that the only place where Bod can receive the care he needs is in the graveyard since they are all dead. Silas is also putting a sense of fear in Bod about the outside world by telling him that a graveyard is a safe place. Despite the graveyard gate protecting Bod it also imprisons him by preventing him from exploring the real world. Bod is the only one who can leave the cemetery and the Owenses and Silas know that Bod is just not ready to explore the world on his own yet. Graveyard gates are known to provide peace to people who enter the cemetery as they transition over to the dead because they represent the gates of heaven. Bod grows up in a peaceful and hardworking community who all work as a team to make sure he receives quality care.  

 
The book also does a wonderful job of highlighting the fact that it indeed takes a whole village to raise a child. In chapter one Silas states that fact that “It will take more... souls to raise this child. It will...take a graveyard.” Mr. and Ms.Owens want to take care of Bod, but they are aware that with their limitations they will need help. Silas knows that each of the ghost members has severe limitations because they are dead, and Bod is a living human being. The graveyard gate is not only a representation of security and limitation in Bod’s life but also creates a community. A community that is willing to give their all for Bod to live a life he deserves.  
 
In my drawing, I decided to add stones on the graveyard pillars. By doing so my hopes were to portray the fact that community is key to a successful childhood. The pillars need every piece of stone to stand tall and if one piece breaks off the others eventually will too. The same is true for the graveyard community, they need everyone to help with taking care of Bod, otherwise their community will crumble to pieces.  
 
 
 
 

 

 

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