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Chris Weldon

Professor Orta

ENGL-123 - 5015

1 March 2020

Shortcomings in Relationships & Their Roles

In Adrian Tomine’s graphic novel ​Shortcomings​, feminism is highly present and driven.

Tomine uses Ben and Miko’s relationship in the novel to send multiple messages to readers. One

of the most significant messages Tomine is trying to uncover and unpack is the power relations

in heterosexual romantic relationships. While we mostly follow Ben throughout the story,

Tomine has still managed to set this up in a feminist viewpoint. The relationship Ben and Miko

shared had many flaws, most due to Ben’s unwillingness to change his ways and stereotypical

views. The issues his character faces with race and sexuality are very difficult to read and

swallow, one can only hope Ben makes the connections he needs someday. The ways in which

he treats his relationship with Miko is very one sided and selfish. Using the couples unhealthy

relationship, Tomine is able to portray the “examination of how relationships between men and

women and those assuming male and female roles are depicted in the text, including power

relations.” as it is described by Linda Napikoski in ThoughtCO’s Feminism Definition.

Ben is a static character in the novel. A static character does not change. Miko on the

other hand, is a dynamic character and she changes. Ben’s insecurities and weaknesses displayed

show he is unable to change while Miko’s strength to move on and find something passionate

shows her ability to change. The power dynamic and bias is real between Ben and Miko. The

relationship is clearly a one sided street. Miko is the only one willing to put any effort in and
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change the way in which they operate as a couple. Ben is highly self-centered and is only

focused on how the relationship works in his favor, he is highly critical of anyone else’s opinion,

which is shown multiple times in the novel but the most significant ones being with Miko. Ben

simply treats this relationship the way he wants and has no regard for Miko’s feelings or desires

toward it. He has to have the power in the relationship.

It is clear that only Ben’s desires and wishes matter. He believes the male has that power.

In chapter one the porn argument between Ben and Miko spirals out. In this scene, (page 27,

panel 8) Miko is hurt by the porn collection with a heavy amount of stereotypical blonde hair,

blue eyed, white women she found in Ben’s desk. While Miko simply wants to hash this out and

talk about the problem, Ben is defending it left and right and feels that Miko is being too

irrational and a little crazy, even going as far to tell her that. Ben does not want to take any kind

of responsibility or fault in this situation, his replies to Miko’s concerns being “Oh my God…”

(29) and “What am I supposed to do about it?” (30) Here, essentially Ben is stating that it’s fine

that he can be attracted to those women and that if Miko doesn’t believe him she is not in the

right state of mind. Ben simply wants to make his opinion the dominant one here, he has to win

this and his opinion is more superior.

Powerful dominance in a relationship includes criticism. In chapter 3 when Ben is in New

York he finds the model photos of Miko. While this is a shock to Ben, we get his real opinion on

this in a later scene (pg 85, panel 6) in the chapter. Ben says “Look… it’s embarrassing and kind

of pathetic for her to want to do that” (86) Basically, it’s both okay for Ben to have these pornos

with white women while in a relationship but while on a break he can’t even respect Miko for

her modeling photos. Ben is making it clear that his opinion is what matters most, it’s okay for
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him to be attracted to white porn stars but embarrassing for Miko to do some modeling. Once

again, Ben is being unreasonable and selfish, acting as if his desires are okay but that Miko’s are

pathetic and she should be different. Tomine uses Ben’s one sided opinion to further develop his

message that these old-fashioned and outdated cultural male and female roles still exist and that

there are still men like Ben out there that believe they are in the right and their desires matter

more. They can be attracted to a woman who models, but if their girlfriend were to do that, it

would be totally wrong. He must control this.

Only males can break relationship rules, according to Ben at least. On page 39, panel 5

just after Miko has left for New York, Ben goes to the phone to call up Autumn. A static

character in the story, Autumn advances Ben’s character by showing how judgmental and

stereotypical Ben can be. However, aside from that in this scene Ben is simply calling Autumn

up to get together. Just as you think he would call Miko, he instead picks up the phone and when

she answers says “Hi… Autumn?” (40) Ben continues on his break with Miko and takes up a

relationship with Sasha, another dynamic character in the story because of her change after being

in a relationship with Ben. In seeing Sasha, we see a lot of the same behaviors he had with Miko,

this probably helping fuel Sasha’s decision to move on and back to her ex girlfriend. Ben

immediately moves on to pursue two other girls after Miko leaves yet is very adamant that they

are just on a break.

Power relations can be dangerous to someone trying to move on. In a scene that starts on

page 88, panel 6 Ben finds out about Miko pursuing a relationship with Leon Christopher. His

response “Are you fucking with me?” (90) The scene immediately following (page 91, panel 1)

Ben says “I can’t believe she’d fall for a fucking rice king. I can’t believe it.” (91) Ben is upset
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about what has transpired and that Miko is in a new relationship with Leon Christopher. When

him and Miko hash it all out further on in a scene starting on page 97, panel 7 Ben goes on to say

to Miko “I guess I didn’t know that ‘taking some time off’ meant that you could lie to me and

fuck around my back!” (99) The point is made very clearly here, Ben has made it apparent that

only he was allowed to have any kinds of relationships during their break. He was the only one

allowed to “fuck around” during this time off. Miko dating a new guy, how dare she? But so

what he went out with 2 girls and pursued a sexual experience with one. Big deal in his eyes.

Once again, Ben is taking no responsibility and defending his views. These relationship

dynamics are exactly what delineate the power relation and typical male & female roles in a

relationship.

Tomine certainly has multiple themes and messages throughout the novel. One of the

most significant being this examination of how relationships between men and women and those

assuming male and female roles are depicted in the text as well as power relations as defined by

Napikoski. Ben’s unwillingness to change or see any faults in himself and only faults in Miko

and really everyone else around him is what fuels this unhealthy dynamic he and Miko shared.

The message here being that there are still relationships like this today even in the most diverse

and progressive places. It’s all around, and these roles need to be broken and examined more

closely. We have to keep our eyes on this. Tomine’s message is that these types of relationships

are toxic and that trying to dominate a relationship simply does not work and is irresponsible.
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Work Cited

Tomine, Adrian. Shortcomings. Faber And Faber, 2016.

Napikoski, Linda. “What Is Feminist Literary Criticism?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 6 Feb. 2020,

www.thoughtco.com/feminist-literary-criticism-3528960.