Phoebe Carrona

Apprentice Artists Book

WRT 212

10/26/24

I chose “Ghosts and Empties” By: Lauren Groff for my apprentice book because I liked how the main POV character we followed on her nightly emotional support walks or emotional breakdown walks. The way the author brought pieces of architecture into the story as she built up an idea of home while the main character walked. I thought it was very interesting because it helps give the story different stereotypically vibes and get a better picture of the location and the plot. It was almost as if she was searching for where she belongs in the world as a middle aged or older woman. By looking into other peoples homes. Looking at other older women who are also wandering outside of their homes or if they even had a home. If they were the homeless couple that were looking for a place to be a home. If not just a place for the night or the week.  As a reader I felt like she told me everything but it was done in a way where it was an internal dialogue and then you could see what she was seeing and thinking and it actually was showing you by having a good balance between internal thoughts and statements and what she was seeing. It was very emotionally charged. Because the character is world building but not only world building but a sense of wondering about the world and one’s place in the world. This really grabbed me because it let me think about the story and ask questions in which the plot moved with and through and avoided but still told me without telling me.  I like to work as a reader, I like to piece things together. I do not want it just told to me, it makes me bored. She’s balanced the showing through telling it in internal dialogue and I really like it. But also can’t help but wonder if she did it on purpose to show how silencing and frustrated the main character is. Like when her husband tells her to just walk it off and she is internally fuming about it. It is showing her holding things and in. As well as why she needs to walk to cope with that. 

I decided to decorate it because I thought that having footprints being around and a lonely little ghoul peering into the windows helps summarize the meaning of the story. I think ghosts and ghouls represent anger and confusion, and resisting change, or a spectator. That is what the main character is going through. Which is why I drew her as one. She spectates and is invisible. I think it helps and inspires me to have my characters immersed in a world through the senses as well as noticing things around them, they specifically would notice or see, from perspectives or just see it. I think there is harmony here. I used the ghost because it is in harmony with what the character is going through and experiencing.