The tower

This thesis is a script for a graphic novel. It includes a visual draft in the form of rough thumbnails, as well as sample pages demonstrating the completed work. The story is a family drama that takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on Molly, an anxious, highly introverted baker whose carefully constructed status quo is endangered by her sister's divorce. My primary aim is to explore the condition and effects of maladaptive daydreaming. Molly spends the majority of her time in an extensive internal fantasy world. The fantasy reflects emotions and experiences that Molly is unable to express or process in her everyday life, and though this helps her in many ways, it also hinders her, particularly during periods of stress when instead of facing her problems directly, she retreats to the stasis of her internal world. The goal of this work is not to show the protagonist improving her life by overcoming the condition. Rather, I wish to explore the condition in a neutral way, as it intersects with shame and anxiety and equally joy. Another subject I explore is change, or the destructive effects that significant change, whether positive or negative, can have on an individual's life and on their larger family dynamic. The main source of change in this story is Molly's sister's divorce and infidelity, through which I examine the muddy borders of personal responsibility within relationships. Another source of change is a sudden breach in Molly's home and job security, as it becomes necessary for her to find new housing and a new source of income. The bond between the sisters, Molly and Alice, sits at the core of this work. Without this relationship, Molly would not face any of the above challenges, nor would she have the motivation and propulsion to move through them.Arts, Faculty ofGraduat