Ghosts: A Graphic Novel

The second half of the graphic novel takes place on a single day: Halloween. The events of the previous months built to this moment, beginning with the family’s move to a haunted town. On their first day there, Cat and Maya explore and meet Carlos, finding out that the town is filled with spirits. Cat is skeptical, but Maya is encouraged by the idea, and Cat experiences regular encounters with ghosts from that point on. From the beginning, Maya shows herself to be brave in the face of all kinds of threats, including mysterious spirits, which turn out to be benevolent, and her own CF. Cat is always in a state of fear in regard to her sister, often feeling responsible or guilty when Maya cannot enjoy the same things she does. Cat’s fear overcomes her on Halloween, as she hears from Seo that other spirits may begin entering her home now that the family has an ofrenda on display. Cat rushes home in a panic but finds her family safe and relaxed; she has nothing to be afraid of. Maya is finally honest with her older sister, expressing her frustration over Cat’s fears: “Cat, I can’t go, even though I want to. But you can …. What happens if I die, Cat? Will you be afraid of my ghost, too?” (174-75).

Beginning with her first encounter with Carlos upon arriving in Bahía de la Luna, Maya is curious about the ghosts that he says live there; she wants to know what will happen when she dies, as she is aware of how close her own death is. Maya takes comfort in meeting the spirits and knowing she will live on through her family, and she wants Cat to take comfort in it, too. When Cat eventually works up the courage to go to the party, thanks largely to her sister, she meets Carlos’s uncle José, who was only eight years old when he died. José is lively and vibrant, much like Maya, and talking with him helps Cat understand that she can remain connected to Maya even in death. True to the story’s theme The Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood, Cat brings José to visit Maya and help ease her concerns about her own death. In this way, Cat begins confronting the reality of her sister’s imminent death, and Maya shows that she cares more about her sister’s wellbeing than her own: “José, if I die, Cat will be all alone” (224).

For Halloween, Maya dresses up as an angel, symbolizing the fact that she may not live much longer. Maya’s costume also represents her purity and innocence, as she is still a very young girl with a wide and hopeful vision of the world. Cat dresses up as La Catrina, symbolizing that is finally embracing and Discovering Her Own Heritage. Previously, at the harvest festival, Seo taught Cat about the importance of dressing up like the dead; failing to do so is “like showing up at a party without your clothes on” (143). As a further sign of Cat’s gradual Accepting and Adjusting to Change, she kisses Carlos at the Day of the Dead party. Being brave around the spirits and being affectionate toward Carlos are both acts that illustrate how Cat is starting to broaden her views and mature. Cat also joins in the making of music, shaking maracas and dancing with the living and the dead alike. As the story concludes, the spirit of Cat and Maya’s grandmother prepares a Mexican feast for her family, showing up as the black cat that appeared when the family first moved to town. Cat, who arrived in town uptight, afraid, and closed off, is open to change and learns to “just go with it” (239) by the end of the novel, indicating her acceptance of her lack of control over many of the important concerns that worry her. Her situation is not resolved, but she learns to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances; her new connection to her heritage helps her find hope and understand that she will always be connected to those she loves, in life and in death.