Adolescence is a period of life in which individuals learn who they are and shape their identity in relation to their experiences and others around them, such as role models, peers and family; consequently adolescence has always been considered a crucial stage of development. In Black Hole “the bug” only affects teenagers, which suggests that the teenage plague is not a metaphor for AIDS, but is actually the social, physical and emotional turning point where the character matures from teenager to young adult . Similarity: Adolescents infected with the "bug" share other attributes besides physical manifestations and isolation, such as their lifestyle: sex, drugs and symbols. In the novel Black Hole, Charles Burns communicates the transition from adolescence to adulthood through the use of a sexually transmitted disease called “the bug”. This version of adolescence is reinforced by Chris and Keith's mutations; peeling skin and tadpole-like and sperm-like bumps and, respectively, feel safe in their organic environment, such as the forest and waters. However, it is essential that they escape from that environment so that they can blossom from undeveloped minors into fully grown adults. Charles Burns does not have a moral attitude but a realistic approach towards teenage sex, hence his inclusion of Dee and his girlfriend Jill, who maintain a sexual relationship while remaining less of a “bug” (#6). But from this we can deduce AIDS since it does not affect those who do not have it. However, Charles Burns only mentions the possibility that the transmission of adolescent plague is the result of unprotected sexual intercourse. Issues 2 and 4 of the series provide virtuous examples to support this position, the only known cause in Black Hole being the int...... .middle sheet......the book's sexual symbolism. Although such imagery has been used before, Charles Burns uses a grotesque tone, disorientation, and irrationality to communicate the emotional turmoil surrounding the lives of adolescents who have been shaped by the "bug." Adolescence is characterized by a free spirit, but adulthood is polluted, like a disease. Charles Burns effectively demonstrates the difficulties surrounding the transition of adolescence, such as intimate, social, and emotional relationships, as well as the physical changes that shape a young adult. Works Cited Charles Burns quotes CB http://www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk/features/2008/10 /03/interview-with-charles-burns/Read more: http://www.time.com/time/ columnist/arnold/article/0,9565,1121476,00.html#ixzz1IOYwY5MYhttp://www.time. com/time/columnist/arnold/article/0,9565,1121476,00.html#ixzz1IOYFAqwg