Julianne Pugmire Illustration Thesis Spring 2019
Devil's Tongue
Two girls. Two worlds. One voice.
Aija is your average moody, conspiracy theory crazed 7th grader. Not too long into the school year, Aija finds herself the target of bullying due to only one thing – the way she spoke. Having dealt with a severe stutter for most of her life, Aija feels cursed and wants to give up until her eccentric yet doting Mother, Soleil, steps in and tells her the story of Avis Waldegrave; a witch back in the 17th century who was historically infamous for being possessed and speaking for the devil himself. When in reality, Aija’s notorious ancestor was tried and sentenced to death because she too, stuttered.
How do the two intertwine with each other? Does Aija overcome her insecurities and face school again? Was Avis actually executed after her trial? Is the connection of witches purely coincidental or is there more that Aija and Avis have yet to learn about themselves?
Devil’s Tongue is a whimsical yet heartwarming fairytale exploring two time periods and two vastly different yet eerily similar girls as they learn and face the (metaphorically and quite literally) trials and errors of verbal disability and discovering spirituality by finding themselves.