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In her graphic novel Dare to Disappoint, author and artist Ozge Samanci uses the collage form to narrate and bring to life her experiences in this autobiographical text. Samanci blends together different sizes and shapes of text, drawings, and photographic images to vividly portray her childhood experiences, childish point of view, and the cultural markers that molded her world view at the time of the incidents portrayed. Additionally, by using this form of text to visually convey the cultural markers which people from countries other than Turkey may not have any exposure to otherwise, she gives people who are outsiders to Turkish culture the ability to appreciate the way in which these helped to form her upbringing. 

Some of the important life markers or significant events that helped shaped young Ozge’s worldview are evident in the emphasis placed on national culture and identity and the importance of obtaining educational achievement. Specifically, some of the important shaping influences in her early youth seem to be the awareness of the founder of Turkey Ataturk’s highly esteemed role in Turkish society and ideology, and her older sister Pelin’s overshadowing academic accomplishments driven by high family values over education.

On page fifty-two, the Ataturk from the narrator Ozge’s imagination reprimands the girl exclaiming, “Little girl! You disappoint me, your family, and the entire Turkish nation,” while sternly holding an index finger out at her.  Ataturk is very much symbolic of the collectivistic values of the culture; the act of failing had far-reaching negative implications for the narrator which ran deeper than simply letting herself or her parents down. The visual composition of this page shows how heavy of a weight Ozge’s academic performance, and failure to perform, is on her understanding of the world and her role within it. This theme of the importance of education in her life is followed throughout the graphic novel and is ultimately confronted by Ozge at the end when she realizes that even if she fails in different areas of life such as her educational career, “life would keep bringing opportunities” regardless (188).

Ultimately achieving this type of liberated world view was not without struggle, however. The narrator Ozge struggled throughout much of her academic career due to her inability to perform up to par with her sister Pelin’s level of academic achievement despite her family’s desire for her to. She spent much of her early academic career trying to reach a high level of achievement for her family’s wishes rather than for her desire to pursue an educational interest of her own. When she was finally able to reconcile her chosen path in light of family expectations, narrator Ozge became free to explore art, which she loved to do.

How does the visual-heavy format of Dare to Disappoint allow for members of various cultures and communities to interact with the text regardless of culture-specific experience? Does Samanci call young readers to action with the title of Dare to Disappoint?