Continuity-in-Change in David Almond’s The Savage: Narrative Self-Shaping in Moments of Metanarrative

David Almond’s The Savage (2008), illustrated by Dave McKean, demonstrates how narrating enables the adolescent protagonist, Blue Baker, to explore themes of loss, grief and bullying in embedded graphic narrative he creates about a savage boy, story calls ‘The Savage’. primary focuses on interplay between Blue’s behaviour his thoughts feelings. Interspersed throughout this self-narrative are metanarrative comments regarding story-creating process. These not only reveal reflections role as narrator Savage’, they vital for understanding experience continuity-in-change. utterances – which is ultimately book storytelling illustrating show engaging reflective transformative ‘narrative self-shaping’ (Hutto 2016). Based medicine, cognitive narratology, age studies children’s literature studies, essay underscores that analyses age-related can illuminating facets characters’ coming age, especially when engage creative acts shaping self via narratives. Ultimately, shows tales sharing stories be empowering, across lifespan.