week 2
Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
· Textbook (Foster): Chapter 19
· Textbook (Charters):
· Zora Neale Hurston – “The Gilded Six-Bits”
· Art Spiegelman – “Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History”
· Marjane Sartrapi – “Persepolis: The Veil”
· William Faulkner – “A Rose for Emily”
· Lecture 1, 2, 3
Introduction The wonderful thing about graphic novels is that their images give them the opportunity to show readers what their characters actually look like, as well as what the setting looks like. They can direct the reader’s attention with pictures, words, and the juxtaposition of the two.
Initial Post Instructions Consider “Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History” and “The Veil” as opposed to “The Gilded Six-Bits” and “A Rose for Emily.” How does being able to see the setting and character alter your reading experience? Do you find that you focus more on location in one form or more on character in another?
Additionally, examine the sparse language used in both graphic stories. How important is the visual content to understanding the story? Do you feel either of these stories would be effective in a text only format?
Secondary Post Instructions Some of you feel that the imagery of our graphic novel shorts lends to the stories. Others feel that the imagery weakens the story. Seek out classmates who have expressed an opinion different than your own. Read through their posts carefully. Express which portions of their opinions you agree with and ask your fellow classmates questions that might guide them to see your point of view more clearly. If you can’t find anyone with whom you disagree, add additional support (in the form of examples/reasons your classmates have not previously mentioned) to strengthen their posts.
Writing Requirements
· In addition to one initial post, respond to at least two peers.
· Initial Post Length: minimum of 250 words
· Secondary Post Length: minimum of 200 words per post
· Using APA format, incorporate appropriate in-text citation(s) referring to the academic concept with corresponding works cited page for the initial post.
Grading and Assessment Meeting the minimum number of postings does not guarantee an A; you must present an in-depth discussion of high quality, integrate sources to support your assertions, and refer to peers’ comments in your secondary posts to build on concepts.
Course Learning Outcome(s): 1, 2, 3 1. Gain an appreciation for short stories, their themes, and the social or political backdrops against which they were written. 2. Improve interpretive and critical thinking skills through reading, discussion, and writing. 3. Evaluate the works' importance to readers on emotional, artistic, social, and literary levels.
First post:
The construction and deliverance of a powerful message within a piece of literature may surface from a text only format or a visionary format depending on how the author wants us, the readers, to convey a certain message, and whichever style will address the message in the most effective way for the reader. I believe both graphical and textual novels are acceptable and favorable styles of literature, but depending on the complexity of the story, one may be more of an adequate approach.
When an author uses the visionary approach, such as in graphic novels (“Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History,” and “The Veil”), readers, like myself, may find it easier to comprehend the message because graphics may be easier to look at and understand the author’s intended message. Graphic novels may also give us a better understanding of the mood of the character and the setting because we are able to visually see it without having to be creative on our own, which often times makes our minds wonder in a hundred different directions. It is famously stated that a picture is worth a thousand words. One researcher suggest that, “images contain more information than text and that this information can be more easily processed and understood by the observer (Van Amerlsvoort, 2013). I believe there are times this is true in certain pieces of literature, especially when looking at the two pieces we read this week. More specifically in “Prisoner on the Hell Planet,” because the setting is illustrated by shades of dark colors suggesting a time of gloomy dark sadness. I believe just looking at the illustrations we are able to see the sadness that is portrayed throughout the story. Being able to visually see graphics allows us to also become emotionally involved because we are presented with illustrates that define the type of feelings the characters are experiencing, and these feelings sometimes have a personal connection because we experienced something so similar. We are not required to imagine what a piece of text is trying to convey, we are given a visual of the feelings which makes it easier for us to personally experience the characters feelings. The character is shown many times with tears running down his face, portraying a time of grievance, but with all the apparent sadness, the author illustrates a frame where he is trying to defend himself with other alternatives to his mother’s suicide, and escape the guilt that filled his heart. In this frame, the author presents five different illustration of the character proposing alternatives for the cause of his mother committing suicide, with the last one pointing the finger back at him as he sits there in clothing similar to jail attire (Spiegelman, 1972, pp. 819). The graphics in this novel assisted significantly in presenting an ending of blame and sadness which I believe was the theme throughout the entire story.
The use of illustrations is typically favorable by many readers (especially me) because it is less overwhelming than looking at a full page of text. However, when a story line or intended message from literature piece becomes more complex the use of text over graphics becomes more appropriate. The stories “A Rose for Emily,” and “The Gilded Six-Bits have a more elaborate plot which takes place over an extended period of time. When an author does not use graphics in their literature, the reader is given the opportunity to explore the journey differently than their peers. This makes these stories so powerful because the reader is not limited to what the author presents in a given graphic. It would be difficult for authors to use a graphic novel to illustrate literature that requires much involvement of the reader, because illustrations limit the creativity of the reader and the complexity of the stories plot. Also another benefit of using text over graphics is the opportunity for the reader to analyze and imagine certain settings and characters in their own way. This was true for me in “The Gilded Six-Bits,” because the setting changes throughout the story. At the beginning we are welcomed into a loving and caring atmosphere within a happy married couple, however, this changes throughout the story when Missie May engages in acts of adultery and betrayal against her committed husband (Hurston, 1993, pp.421-429). This piece carries a more complex plot which would make it different to illustrate in a graphic piece.
The visual content in both graphic novels is vital to understanding the story even though the stories have a much different ending. In “The Veil,” there is a young girl who is facing a difficult time coping with the Cultural Revolution because her uniqueness of dedication and motivation not to follow the majority, but rather to follow her own dreams and ambitions of becoming a prophet resulted in being ridiculed by others. However, In “Prisoner on the Hell Planet,” there is a mentally disturbed man who is trying to cope with his mother’s suicide, by placing blame on other factors, because he felt as he betrayed his mother early in his childhood. These stories end in completely different directions as the ‘The Veil” concludes with a young girl filled with hope and ambition, while “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” ends with a disturbed man filled with distress. Both authors were able to illustrate emotional experiences within their graphic novels that convey a concrete message of dedication and happiness in one ending and sadness in the other.
Hurston, Z. N. (1933). The Gilded Six-Bits. In Charters, A. (Ed.). (2015). The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction, Compact 9th Ed. (pp. 421-429). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Spiegelman, A. (1972). Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History. In Charters, A. (Ed.). (2015). The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction, Compact 9th Ed. (pp. 816-819). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Van Amerlsvoort, M. (2013). Images and Memory: A Literature Review of Issues in the Use of Images to Aid Vocabulary Acquisition and Reading Comprehension and Recall . Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Language and Culture Studies, 19-31. doi:https://doi.org/10.20686/academiakiyou.2.0_19.
Second:
Authors use different types of styles to engage and entertain the audience. Graphical and textual novels are both great ways to write just depending on what the author is trying to focus on. When the author decides which style, they know how much their story is going to impact the audience and in which way.
Personally, I go back and forth between which style I prefer. I would say textual novels are more in my favor when it is a topic I want to reader or genre I prefer. If the genre isn’t what I prefer I would have to go with graphical. Normally graphical are shorter and more to the point so it allows me to get through a topic I might not prefer. When looking at graphic novels such a “Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History”, and “The Veil”), the graphics I found made it easier for me to comprehend what was going on. Especially at the ending of “Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History” when it shows he was “in” prison because he had the weight of his mother’s suicide on his shoulders. At first when I look at this story I just looked at the pictures before I actually read to see if I could figure out what was going on and I got the jest of it but not pure detail. That graphic novel had very huge impacts with such little words. But I believe that graphic novel could be a great textual novel as well because they could build up to the ending and but in a lot more detail.
The stories "A Rose for Emily", and "The Gilded Six-Bits" have plots that are needed to have a lot more texts then graphics. It allows the stories to have the more elaborate plot they do. When there is more text the reader is allowed to use their imagination. For example, in “The Glided Six-Bits” it allows the audience to think about how time would be back in that era. Instead of having images to do that for you. It allows you to picture the relationship between Joe and Missie May and how this may affect them. “A Rose for Emily” allows a slow methods Emily to use careful thinking to figure out. The text allows the author to really focus how let the reader figure out what is going on without pictures giving it away.
Authors can use different ways to express. In my opinion, it is easier for a graphic novel to turn into a textual novel. Being able to develop and add more to see the beginning of the outcome is a lot easier than trying to cut out main, huge points. In my opinion authors use different techniques in both novels allowing them to catch the reader’s attention. So, one isn’t more beneficial than the other.
References
Faulkner, W. (1931). Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History. In Charters, A. (Ed.). (2015). The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction, Compact 9th Ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Hurston, Z. N. (1933). The Gilded Six-Bits. In Charters, A. (Ed.). (2015). The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction, Compact 9th Ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.
Spiegelman, A. (1972). Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History. In Charters, A. (Ed.). (2015). The story and its writer: An introduction to short fiction, Compact 9th Ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.