Steam Clean
| Steam Clean | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 2017 |
| Page count | 84 pages |
| Publisher | Retrofit Comics |
| Creative team | |
| Creator | Laura Ķēniņš |
Search Steam Clean on Amazon.
Steam Clean is a comic written by an artist and writer Laura Ķēniņš who has worked in Halifax, Hungary, Latvia and Toronto.[1] The work was published in May 2017 by Retrofit Comics. The story gives insight into women’s only sauna night, where friends and strangers meet. As the steam heats up, the conversations commence and reveal stories and problems that these women face. The narratives reveal online dating complications, sexual abuse, patriarchy at work, identification with non-binary people and also different sexual orientations.
Author
Laura Ķēniņš is a writer, illustrator, and artist, who currently lives in Toronto, Canada. She is the author of two comics which have been published by Kuš! Comics and Retrofit Comics. One of them, a book, Alien Beings, was a 2017 Doug Wright Award nominee. Laura Ķēniņš is also an author of several short works that have been published in Kuš! Comics, Kuti Magazine Truthout, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Coast and Matrix Magazine. Additionally, her works have been exhibited within Europe and Canada. She studied graphics and photography at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. Today she draws comics, creates installations, writes about art and works as a comic teacher.[2]
Plot
The graphic novel weaves in several narratives and themes, which friends and strangers reveal on a dark autumn night in northern Europe, at ‘Jumis sauna’ event ‘Women’s only sauna night’. The main themes discovered in the novel are sexual orientation, non-binary identity, patriarchy at work, sexual abuse, and online dating.
The story begins with Klara and Miika walking to the sauna through the forest, then paying the entrance fee of seven euros and meeting another woman Kaisa. While undressing for the sauna in the changing room, Kaisa and another woman, Isra, are talking. During this conversation, Kaisa reveals her struggles with online dating on queer dating sites, where despite her expressed wish to date only women she is mostly contacted by men. Isra warns Kaisa about online dating where anyone can pretend to be someone they are not. Furthermore, also in the changing rooms, Miika tells Klara her concerns about attending this sauna event as a non-binary person. Miika discloses that she has gone through with breast removal surgery and that it makes her insecure about attending this event as other women might question her presence. Klara tries to encourage Miika and compares her breast removal to her mother’s who had breast cancer and had her breasts removed. This comparison makes Miika irritated.
Subsequently, the story concentrates on the conversations happening in the sauna where Maija starts the conversation with another woman, Sara, by letting out her frustrations about her work and her boss. She tells that she would not be able to take his place because of her gender, as the clients would harass her and she does not want to deal with it. Later the story shows the goddess Laima walking to the sauna and paying the entry fee, undressing, and showering. Then the graphic novel switches back to women sitting in the sauna, where Maija is complaining about her work and gender inequality at her work and how in general for women it is more difficult to succeed than men. Afterward, Klara leaves the steam room and checks on Miika to see why she is not entering, Miika repeats to her that she does not feel comfortable and that she associates herself as neither woman nor man at the moment. Klara still tries to convince her to join in.
Next, the story goes back to the steam room where women continue to discuss Maija’s situation at work, and the reader can see that Miika has joined the sauna room. The conversation slowly changes from the patriarchy at work to sexual abuse performed by teachers and ex-boyfriends. The discussion between Maija and Sara heats up regarding their past sexual experiences. Maija does not enjoy it and decides to leave the chat, as well as the steam room. She goes outside on the porch where Isra follows her. Meanwhile, the other women in the steam room criticize Sara for being too rough and judgmental.
Both Miika and Klara go outside as well, Miika joins Isra and Klara joins Maija. Furthermore, Miika tells Isra that she had breast reduction surgery and that she does not like to be seen as female, yet she does not know how she feels about her body. Meantime, Maija talks to Klara and tries to convince herself as well as Klara that she was not sexually abused. Then all the women return in the steam room, where the goddess Laima tells her story of being sexually interested in women yet having to hide it because of expectations society and culture has set. With her story, Laima has inspired Maija to try to get a promotion and take her boss's place. While other women are getting dressed as the sauna event is approaching the finish line, Isra and Miika become closer and kiss outside on the porch. Then all women are saying goodbye and the goddess Laima offers to clean the steam room. The spirits are helping Laima to clean the sauna. The Comic ends with all the women walking home and the spirits leaving the sauna through the chimney.
Characters
Miika is a non-binary person who just had breast removal surgery and is struggling to find a place in the current society. She feels like she does not belong anywhere. She is also the ex-girlfriend of Klara.
Kaisa is obsessed with finding the love of her life and online dating. In the story, she shares her experience with dating websites and the failures she has faced with this platform.
Maija is a character that fights the demons of the past as well as the present. She is facing gender inequality at work; additionally, she struggles with her past regarding sexual abuse.
Isra plays the role of a supporter. She tries to comfort everyone. At the end of the story, she becomes close to Miika.
Sara is a friend of Maija. In the novel, she is the one who stirs up controversy regarding Maija's life and decisions she has made, as well as she is the one who brings up the topic of sexual abuse. She is provoking the other characters in the story in order to discuss uncomfortable subjects.
Klara is an ex-girlfriend of Miika. In the comic, she tries to convince Miika that no one really cares about her gender, yet does it in a provoking way.
Laima is the goddess of women. In the story she reveals her interest in women; nevertheless, she cannot come clean about her real feelings due to restraints in society. Additionally, in the book "The Faces of the Goddess’" by Lotte Motz, Laima is introduced in a similar way: ‘The goddess Laima – Dame Fortune – is the most vital of the Latvian Deities. Her name has been related to the verbs likt (to lay down), lemt (to determine) and laist (to let), and to the noun laiduma (to have caused). Her function as a women’s goddess and especially as a helper at the time of parturition is still very much in evidence."[3]
Themes
One of the themes addressed in the comic ‘Steam Clean’ is non-binary identity. Miika is the character that reveals to the readers that she has had breast reduction surgery and that she does not see herself as female anymore. Yet, at the same time, she does not see herself as a man either. Miika is stuck between genders. She is confused and her ex-friend Klara does not fully understand it and might seem insensitive. Miika seems very sensitive and vulnerable. Furthermore, according to M.-J. Barker and A. Iantaffi it is important to be mindful towards a non-binary person as their mental health is at higher risk: “Clearly, it is important to be mindful that those who identify and/or express their gender in non-binary ways are at very high risk when it comes to mental health difficulties, self-harm, and suicide.”[4]
In the graphic novel ‘Steam Clean’ the goddess of women Laima reveals to other women that she is interested in women, yet she cannot show it openly to the whole world due to traditions and the status she has in society and within Latvian culture. She is worried about what people might say as she represents traditional values. Furthermore, the people who hold some type of power and authority refer to the traditional values and by that they mean the goddess Laima, this tradition puts a restraint on Laima in regard to her sexuality. Laima is not the only character that reveals her interest in other women; nevertheless, she is the one who has to break out of the traditions that are set on her by society.
Maija is the character that addresses this issue in the comic. She is experiencing gender inequality at work. Her boss is younger and less experienced, yet due to his gender, it is easier for him to advance in his career.
Another topic that is discussed in the graphic novel is sexual abuse. Sara reveals her past and how she was sexually abused when she was a young woman. Nonetheless, she also provokes Maija and makes her reflect on past experiences as she does not see eye to eye with Sara when it comes to this theme.
Kaisa is the character that introduces the theme of online dating in this comic. The problem of online dating is at the centre of this topic. Kaisa has expressed her wish to date women publicly on the website; nevertheless, she is being contacted by mostly men which makes it more difficult for her to find someone to love. Additionally, to this Isra in the book tells her experience with online dating and how someone whom she knows was tricked while using this platform. She warns Kaisa of people who pretend to be someone they are not with the help of social media.
Language
The graphic novel is written in English while using the first names that are popular in other languages.
Style
The comic is drawn in colour. Each panel shows the strokes of the pencil and reflects the artist's style. When flipping through the book three main colours can be noticed: blue, green, and mustard yellow. The work can be classified as a slice-of-life type as it portrays real life or can be added in non-fiction category, as it helps to explore diverse themes and topics.
References
Additional Sources
https://laurakenins.com/about.html Retrieved 2019-12-16
https://www.freecomicbookday.com/Article/116248-Genres--Categories Retrieved 2019-12-20
Scott McCloud, Understanding Comics, Harper Perennial, 1993
Works cited
This article "Steam Clean" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Steam Clean. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
- ↑ "Steam Clean by Laura Ķeniņš". Retrofit. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
- ↑ "Laura Ķeniņš". Goethe. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ↑ Motz, Lotte (1977). The Faces of the Goddess. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 80. Search this book on
- ↑ Richards, Christina; Bouman, Walter Pierre; Barker, Meg-John (2017). Genderqueer and non-binary genders. London: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 108. ISBN 9781137510532. Retrieved 17 December 2019. Search this book on
