graphic novels: literary studies expectations |
"explain how literary texts raise awareness about a range of topics, issues, ideas, cultures, events, and people"
"identify ways in which literary texts can promote readers' intellectual and imaginative growth"
As we explore different genres of graphic novels, it should become clear that the themes, topics, and ideas being presented are as engaging, profound, and as compelling as that found in traditional literary texts. The tools employed by graphic novel writers may be different from traditional writers, but the intention is not: to engage, challenge, and transform the reader through immersion with the text.
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Biography and memoir
The range of content in graphic novels is about as vast as traditional literature, with many genres now represented in the graphic novel form. One genre that has become quite popular for graphic novel writers is the memoir, where one's past is examined through both text and drawing. In this unit, we will look closely at two examples, Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, and Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir, as well as a few other interesting non-fiction graphic novels.
HANDOUT: what is a memoir? how is it different from a biography?
memoir_introduction.pdf | |
File Size: | 207 kb |
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Activity: comparing memoir beginnings
Looking at the first chapters of a number of different memoirs will give us a good idea of how different they can be - in content, in design, and in structure.
memoir_reading_actvity_1.pdf | |
File Size: | 15 kb |
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PERSEPOLIS
Assignment will be added here.
WALTZ WITH BASHIR
Waltz With BAshir: COmparison of the text and the Film
It is a story that was both written as a graphic novel and made into an animated film. It was also one of the first animated documentaries, which made it an interesting work already, but it was also an extraordinary work because of the animation techniques used and the content of the film. As a story, told in two different media platforms, it gives us lots to think about regarding memory, war, perspective, and trauma. As a film and graphic novel, it raises interesting questions about the choices made - why a graphic novel? why an animated documentary?