Be Prepared

At this point in the narrative, Vera continues to struggle with being accepted and with The Challenges of Adolescence. Between the confiscation of the candy and losing the flag in the napadenya, or flag war, she realizes that her chances of making friends with the girls in her camp are dwindling. She resigns herself to isolation and defeat, choosing not to engage in their activities and lashing out at those who try to include her. Vera feels lost and alone; she is even betrayed by the chipmunk friend that she has been feeding when it bites her after she pets him too hard. Like her failure with the chipmunk, Vera approaches her social relationships with force and enthusiasm that lead to her ultimately being rejected. Vera’s resulting sadness and surly attitude in this portion of the graphic novel are indicative of the difficulties of this adolescent period of growth and change. When her mother explains that she will not be coming home at the end of her first two weeks at camp, Vera bursts into tears and asks to go stay with her father instead, since her parents are divorced. Similarly, Vera resists Natasha’s advice and guidance, shouting that she doesn’t need anyone and insisting that she will not enjoy their upcoming long hike.

As part of growing up, Vera also begins to learn to manage her new emotions and make thoughtful decisions. For example, Vera’s mother is crestfallen when she mentions going to stay with her father, her expression cast down at the corner of the panel. When Vera notices this, she feels guilty, and explains that she is willing to stay at camp, if it will help her mother get a better job. During the long hike deep into the woods, Vera attempts to remain miserable and to exclude herself. The only time she joins in with the group is when the campers tease an awkward boy named Gregor. Vera expresses her own feelings of frustration and self-loathing by taking them out on one of her peers who also struggles to fit in. After that moment, though, she empathizes with how Gregor must feel and removes herself from the group again—literally moving her sleeping bag out of the tent and into a clearing in the woods. While settling down for bed surrounded by the forest, she has an up-close encounter with a majestic moose. In the full-page panel, the moose is framed by moonlight, adding to mystery and significance of the moment. Vera’s experience symbolizes a shift in her own character. On the hike back to camp, she helps Gregor avoid a sinkhole in the path, and later she tells one of her peers that she is going to work hard to pass the Third Rank scouting exam. This transformative experience with the moose reflects the beginning of the narrative’s exploration of The Power of Confidence and Self-Discovery. Through her new lens, Vera is less hyper-focused on what is wrong with her and gains some self-awareness of her existence in a broader picture.

Vera’s encounter with the moose evokes her fascination with icons in general, specifically those of her Russian Orthodox religion. In this section of the narrative, as she is growing and changing, she starts to reconsider how culture and heritage impact her identity. She explains that historically, Russians seem to be bred for suffering, as she outlines the many trials and injustices her people have encountered over the years. The pages and panels read like an illustrated textbook, taking the reader on a journey through several centuries of Russian history. Vera also reflects on The Significance of Culture and Heritage to Identity in the relationship she has to her namesake, St. Vera, who was a martyr. Although Vera’s own “suffering” while at camp pales in comparison, reflecting on the trials that she has experienced helps her feel a closer kinship with her heritage and her people. These reflections help Vera start to form her own identity and form connections with the rest of her community, helping her to feel like she is part of something rather than completely alone.