You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sanchez and Julie Maroh is the coming-of-age tale of Jake Hyde, aka DC Universe superhero Aqualad. Born and raised in the desert city of Truth or Consequences, NM, Jake dreams of leaving to study oceanography and living next to the ocean; however, he struggles with telling his overprotective mom and best friend Maria this. To complicate matters, Jake also struggles with opening up about his sexuality to his mom and Maria, especially after becoming close to the charming, off-beat jock Kenny Liu.
How is the setting symbolically related to Jake’s wants?
In the world of storytelling, settings are as countless as the stories they serve as backdrop to because, even if a group of stories is set in the same city, for example, cities are not homogenous. Not only are there different neighborhoods and buildings, but also different characters can have varying relationships to the same setting. In You Brought Me the Ocean, for instance, the setting could easily reflect the characters, as it does with Maria who thrives here and wants to protect the ecosystem. For other characters, the opposite can be true, which is exactly Jake’s case. The city of Truth or Consequences, MN works in opposition to him to the point that it is, arguably, the story’s main antagonist since it is the main force stopping Jake from achieving his desires.
Credit: Alex Sanchez & Julie Maroh
A four-panel page.
First panel: Jake and Kenny are walking away from town. In the background, there are some hilltops and a number of small square buildings behind a sign that reads “Welcome to Truth or Consequences.” In the foreground, there is a stretch of desert and a couple of blooming cacti and rocks.
Kenny: So, you hike often?
Jake: All the time — with Maria. Do you hike much?
Second panel: A close-up of Kenny and Jake as they walk. Kenny is looking steadily at Jake while Jake looks at Kenny out of the corner of his eye.
Kenny: Naw, I’m more of a water guy — swimming, kayaking, white-water rafting. You ever try it?
Third panel: A shot of Kenny and Jake from behind as the walk towards a fork in their path. The terrain is dry, with small shrubbery and patches of grass dotting it sparsely.
Jake: I’d love to, but my ma’s scared of me getting near water — except to drink it. Funny thing is, I’m always thirsty. I guzzle are least three gallons a day. Maria teases me about it.
Fourth panel: Kenny and Jake continue their walk through the arid landscape, the fork in the road right behind them marked by a sign post next to a tall, thin tree.
Kenny: So, is Maria your girlfriend? Or your girl friend?
All Jake wants is to go to Miami for college so he can study oceanography and live next to the ocean. Truth and Consequences, however, presents Jake with antagonistic forces that keep him trapped. His mother specifically chose to live in a landlocked, desert city; Maria wants them to study in NM together and dreams with being in a relationship with him; and apart from his favorite teacher, his school life is hostile and unwelcoming. This desert city setting creates a dry, harsh, and stifling environment that forces Jake to be someone he’s not which, in contrast, makes his budding relationship with Kenny so nourishing. Kenny represents everything Jake wants and wants to be: free-flowing and cool as water. Talking to this openly gay, self-assured jock with bright teal hair starts to wash away the oppressive energy that Jake hadn’t realized burdened him so much. Ultimately, he knows he is not meant to live in this city.
Credit: Alex Sanchez & Julie Maroh
A page with a full landscape illustration, a long panel across the top.
Top panel: Maria , Jake, and Kenny are sitting together as they watch the sunrise. Maria is hugging her legs close to her body; Jake is propped with his arms behind him; Kenny is sitting up, propped on his right arm, slightly facing the other two.
Maria: Doesn’t the view take your breath away? My dream is to help protect this whole spectacular area. What’s your dream, Kenny?
Kenny: Never really thought about it — My life always seemed so random. I guess for now my dream is to make the most of my time with you guys. What about you, Jake?
Full page illustration: In the foreground, Maria, Jake, and Kenny are seen from behind facing a bright, golden dawn from the top of a hill. Truth and Consequences is seen in the middle ground, surrounded by mountains and covered in morning fog.
Jake: My dream was still the ocean, but no matter what the future held, Maria and Kenny had brought me a dream just as big, just as amazing.
Slowly, Jake comes to understand that, even in a desert, there is water all around him. It’s in his aquarium, in the bottles he is given by his family and friends, at the school pool, in the rain and flash floods… In a way, these instances of water in this harsh setting symbolize pockets of respite where Jake can fully be himself among his pets, family, and friends. While at first glance the desert can be seen as a barren landscape, it is actually teeming with life. This could never happen if the desert were completely devoid of water. In the end, Jake’s antagonistic relationship with the desert is lessened since, through his trials, Jake realizes that his life is watered by plenty of lively moments that keep him going. He might never be able to thrive here like Maria does, but he certainly appreciates the desert’s own particular beauty by the end.