Will Eisner's 'A Contract with God'

      What surprised me about Will Eisner's 'A Contract with God' is that the storyline was not elaborately planned out but was instead a documentary of the environment in which Eisner grew up in the 1930s. This was a very interesting read for me as a Psychology major because I was able to see how the environment influenced him and how he represented himself in the story. For example, in the introduction, written by Eisner, he explains how he had lost his daughter similarly to Frimme Hersh. This made the novel almost autobiographical. There were some interesting themes in the graphic novel though.
      One theme that I found interesting was this idea of a contract with God in which He would bless or punish depending on behavior. This is a very deep theological topic that addresses the fairness and justice of a supreme being. It made me think quite a bit on the subject.
     Another theme of the graphic novel was telling the story of growing up in the Bronx during the Great Depression. As the introduction said, it shows the never ending struggle to prevail or survive. This was seen in almost every tale. The main character was down on luck and there was seemingly no way out.
    Another theme of the novel was male dominance. In almost every tale there was a case of a man taking advantage of a woman for personal gain or pleasure. Often times this also occurred as marital infidelity.
     The novel definitely addresses the ugly side of life growing up under such hard socioeconomic conditions. This reflects on what it was like for Eisner growing up in a Jewish community in the Bronx during that time.