A World Of Someone Else

The ability to identify with the book you read is what creates that everlasting impression we so often strive for from literature. So, what happens when you are engulfed by a world that is not your own? I don't mean somewhere far, far away in the galaxy. What I mean is this; a country with rules and restrictions that are so dehumanizing, that it doesn't seem like Earth at all. How do you identify with that? This is the exact scenario we see in Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. As I read this book, it was easy to feel invincible like the little girl at the beginning of the book who wants nothing more than to be a modern day prophet. But then, we are exposed to mass killings, and find our main character in the midst of war. What would it feel like to be inside your own version of Holocaust? I couldn't give you an answer to that, ever. Discrimination, oppression, death...something we associate with history textbooks becomes all too real in this memoir. I would like to say that I could empathize with the main character, but I feel as if that would be a disservice to her message for others. As an American in the modern world, my life is privileged without question. I am able to think for myself, say what I want, dress how I like, and work where I'm comfortable. So, yes, it's hard to connect with this book. But that's not to say that I'm not shocked and left with a lasting impression on what life could be like for me. Taking a look at the artwork, we see images that are defined by their lines. I'll use pages 76 and 77 as an example. Page 77 features swirling lines that suggest a dreamlike state, as the narrator mentions that her family escapes on vacation to Spain. I can imagine that a trip like this might seem like going to Disneyland for us. The swirling lines allow us to feel comforted and calm. However, on page 76, motion lines and jagged word bubbles create tension and chaos. We are meant to feel the stress that the narrator takes us through. This patterns is repeated throughout the novel, and provides insight to the author's emotions during each event laid out in the novel. This is truly a remarkable piece of literature.

Comments

Junji Ito and the Art of the Uncanny

As discussed in Chapter 2 of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics , the Japanese style of comic book art holds several notable quirks. While early manga artists tended to favor simplistic, yet distinct styles that paved the way for a number of internationally renowned characters, contemporary manga artists have since favored a hybrid style that juxtaposes the cutesy, rounded characters of yesteryear with the realistic and richly shaded settings that have since become popular. Building on this, McCloud describes a phenomenon in which Japanese comic artists have used realism to objectify--that is, to emphasize the "otherness" of certain characters, objects, or places--elements of their work and further separate these elements from the reader. I have chosen the work of one of my favorite comic artists, Japanese horror icon Junji Ito, to further illustrate McCloud's point. Though McCloud describes this phenomenon in the context of Japanese comic book art, he is usi...

Analysis of Aya: Life in Yop City

To begin this week's post, I'd like to first address a few things about the author's duty to his/her readers. When we think of reading material from other countries or cultures, what factors are important to us? What information do we need in order to recognize the significance of the author's work? For me, it's important for the author to find some way to connect to me as a reader. Do we share a common experience? Can I relate your story to mine? This is not to say that a writer's work is rendered unimpressive if they choose not to do this. But I do think it goes without saying that most impressionable works hit us emotionally. I also think that an author should be conscious of the world that they are painting for the reader. Is it true what you're writing? Does it provide some sort of insight into the world as you see it? Are you confirming outside opinions of your culture, or are you breaking the stereotypes that have been placed upon you? That being sai...

The Two Faces of Anarchy in V for Vendetta

As someone who has only seen the movie version of V for Vendetta once many years ago and have never read the graphic novel, I wasn’t exactly sure how similar or different the movie version would be to the graphic novel. I was in for a surprise when I discovered just how vastly different, they are from each other. With that being said, they do have some similarities when strictly looking at the motives of the characters. Let’s dive into those motives and how the author and illustrator of V for Vendetta achieved getting these motives across to their readers. In Scott McCloud’s chapter of Understanding Comics “ Blood in the Gutter ” we are presented with different panel – to – panel transitions, and an introduction to the term “gutter” as being the white space between the panels which is where the audience of reader “takes two separate images and transforms them into a single idea” (McCloud, 66). After finishing reading V for Vendetta , several themes or ideas that were most prevalent...

ENG 4433: Topics in World Lit

Search This Blog