Kaleya's Visual Verbal Essay

by Kaleya McNabb

When we read Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth by Drew Hayden Taylor I read the part of Barb. Barb is funny, caring, rude, smart, and loyal. Her role in the play was the bigger sister, the adult, who made the choices for the family when her mother passed away. Although Barb and Grace’s relationship was rough in the beginning, by the end of the play she forgave her sister, Grace (technically Janice, the name given to her by her adopted family, but Barb called her Grace).

I drew five pictures: red and black block letters spelling BARB, a gravestone with “RIP Anne”, a bottle of white wine, a cup of coffee, and a daisy. I chose BARB because she is like me. The colour red symbolizes love and the red road; black symbolizes Barb’s power and solidness, but it’s also a colour people wear to funerals. The gravestone symbolizes the loss of Barb and Grace’s mother, but also the broken family. The “white” wine is important because Grace didn’t like Barb’s beer, but preferred the “white” wine. Barb laughed when Grace said she only drank white wine because white symbolizes Grace’s adopted family. The cup of coffee symbolizes Barb’s family because they all drink “real” coffee, but Grace drinks decaffeinated coffee. This shows another way that Grace is different.   At the end of the play, Grace finally has the courage to go to her mother’s grave to say goodbye to her. Grace says, “Co-waabmen, Mom, you’re your daughter, Grace.” Co-waabmen means “I’ll be seeing you” in Annishnawbe. At the end of the play Grace finds a growing daisy; she picks it and puts it on the gravestone. This shows that Grace still cares for her mom.