The Stonekeeper

The events of the Prologue are extremely formative for all the characters of The Stonekeeper despite happening two years prior to the main events of the novel. The Prologue provides a brief snapshot of the family’s life before David’s death—Emily is happy, and she and her parents discuss normal, mundane things like playing video games. David is laidback and easygoing, while Karen is the rule enforcer, and at the time of the accident, Navin isn’t with them. When contrasted with where the novel picks up two years later, these details provide insight into how and why things have changed.

The most salient change is in Emily, who is struggling not only with the trauma of the accident but also with Growing Up. She is clearly struggling to adjust to their new life and has become moody, detached, and somewhat antagonistic toward her mom. Being forced to move to the country is just another thing she has no control over, and she resents this. She clashes with her mom—who is doing her best to fill the void left by David—because Karen isn’t David and things aren’t the same. Emily’s irritation manifests itself in her interactions with her mom, and they even argue over things like why Emily must continue to go to school. For Emily, her life is no longer normal, and she’s done trying to pretend that it is—things like algebra no longer feel important because her world was turned upside down. Karen, on the other hand, is trying her best to restore normalcy in whatever ways she can because she believes that it is the best way to ensure a happy life. It is a difficult situation for all of them. Navin appears to be the least affected by the accident, likely because he is younger than Emily and didn’t witness David’s death firsthand.

The first scenes in the family’s new house in Norlen lay a lot of groundwork by establishing each character. Karen tries her best to be optimistic and make things fun for her children. In contrast, she was sterner and more authoritarian in the Prologue. After David’s death, she tries to compensate by trying to infuse fun into their family life since she is aware that her children are struggling with the loss of their father and the changes that have followed. However, her decision to move to a small town in the country to give them a new start shows that she is struggling, as well—she couldn’t manage to support them financially in the city. Navin responds to his mother’s efforts. He is kind and considerate, and this is evident in the way he tries to cheer Emily up during their car ride and helps their mom clean the house. He is also very cautious and easily frightened. When Emily finds the amulet, his instinct is not only to leave it alone but also to tell their mom about it, revealing that he is still a little boy who is dependent on grown-ups. Emily offers a stark contrast to this. She is older and experimenting with pushing boundaries, and she welcomes the opportunity to make an independent choice. She is also very curious, which is evident in how she sets off to explore the house by herself and then in how she impulsively takes the amulet. She is a risk taker who acts before she thinks.

These opening pages also contain strong examples of how the visuals enhance the graphic novel’s emotionality and suspense. In the Prologue, the visuals focus on the moment of David’s death, highlighting how difficult that moment is for Emily and Karen. As the car hangs over edge of the cliff, Karen’s attempts to pull David free are futile because he is pinned in by the dashboard. Karen does not want to let go of David, but once it becomes clear that the car is going to fall, he tells her that she must let go so that she can take care of Emily. Like the rest of the novel, the scene moves forward at a rapid pace, but that final instant when Karen lets go of David is portrayed over two panels that are nearly identical. It is a closeup of Karen’s and David’s hands: In the first panel, they are gripped tight, and in the second, Karen lets go. In reality, this is a moment that would take place in an instant, but the fact that very little changes between the panels makes the moment feel significant and emotional. There’s a powerlessness to the moment that deeply impacts Emily, who also can do nothing but watch helplessly; moreover, the act of letting go becomes a motif that recurs later in the novel. Later, when Emily explores the library, the visuals amplify the suspense by portraying the strange artifacts and mysterious books. The shadowy figure watching the children also creates a lot of intrigue.