Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth
by Chris Ware
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Pantheon (New York): 12 September 2000. Trade paperback: 380 pages. ISBN-10: 0-375-40453-8 Suggested retail price: $18.95 (US) Tags: abandonment; Chicago; father-son relationships; Graphic Novel Tactical strength: [7/10] |
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Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth interleaves the stories of four generations of the Corrigan family. The main character, works in a modern-day Chicago office. He has chronic shyness, lives in an apartment alone, and talks to his overbearing mother several times each day. Author Chris Ware interleaves Jimmy's story with that of his grandfather, also named Jimmy. Jimmy's great-grandfather worked on building the 1893 Chicago Columbia Pavilion at the 1893 World's Fair. During the fair, Jimmy's great-grandfather abandon Jimmy's nine-year-old ancestor atop one of the exhibition buildings. As the story progresses in both time lines, we see the generational effects of neglect and abandonment. The older Jimmy has a hardened attitude toward life that he passed on to his son William. William divorced Jimmy's mother and disappeared from Jimmy's life very early, but has just written to Jimmy inviting him over for Thanksgiving dinner. Jimmy accepts William's invitation, but the two Corrigans can barely keep a conversation about the weather going, let alone discuss any of the real issues that plague their relationship.
Ware uses all sorts of symbolism through Jimmy Corrigan. For example, the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893 represents the imaginary world that the Corrigans inhabit. A world thrown together, that looked great for the two weeks of the fair and then collapsed into sudden ruin. Each character has a very brief childhood where everything looks fine until the harsh reality crashes through the illusion, ending childhood and even possibly free will. None of the Corrigans seem able to break the bonds of their past. Jimmy tries to make a connection to his father, but cannot seem to make any human connection.
Although Ware focuses on the generational effects of neglect, he also make harsh criticism of industrialized society. In several places, he make satirical critiques of modern architecture, presenting praise-filled descriptions of modern architectural wonders such as public bus transfer terminals. Ware gives the impression that he believes the postmodern view that industrialized society has created a world where only rarely does interconnection between people occur.
