Historical Context (Craig Thompson's Life)

Craig Thompson was born in 1975 and grew up in the midwestern United States to a strict religious family. His teens years were spent during the late 1980's and the early 1990's. His parents were fundamentalist Christians and raised Craig and his brother to also be Christians. The beliefs his parents imparted upon him are reflective of many fundamentalist Christians in the United States today.

In an unfortunate incident in Thompson's early years, he and his brother were sexually assaulted by their babysitter, an event which is recounted in his graphic memoir Blankets. Thompson never mentions telling his parent's about this incident due to the intense shame he felt about his sexuality when he was young. This shame stemmed from the Christian beliefs his parents taught him. This also reflects an attitude in today's society where men frequently do not report sexual abuse for fear it will not be taken seriously.