"Cookalein" is a story in Will Eisner's graphic novel "A Contract With God." This story follows the characters in a Jewish neighborhood in New York and their summer vacations. Some characters go out into the country on vacation while others stay in the city. In one family, the wife and children go out to the country and Sam, the husband and father remains in the city. While his family is out of town, Sam spends time with his mistress, Kathleen. In the scene where Sam and Kathleen are together, Kathleen is portrayed wearing a cross necklace and nothing else. I believe Eisner meant the wearing of the cross to convey to the reader that Kathleen is not Jewish. Obviously Eisner felt it was important for the reader to understand that Kathleen is not Jewish.
In spite of what Eisner meant in having Kathleen wear a cross, I read more into it. As a born-again Christian, it had another dimension to me, even if that is not what Eisner intended. Based on her actions (Kathleen is having an affair with a married man and wants him to leave his wife for her) I question whether Kathleen is a Christian even though she is wearing a Christian symbol. I view her as someone who was perhaps raised Christian or "nominally" Christian but never made her faith her own. I wish Eisner had developed her character more because I'm curious about Kathleen's beliefs in light of her actions. I'm not suggesting anyone judge Kathleen's actions; I just wonder about her. Although she has a very small part in the story, she was the most interesting to me.
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