ENGL3024

What is "graphic" about a graphic novel and in what ways is this diverse literary form inherently subversive? In addition to being the subjects of book bans, graphic novels break down the boundary between high “art” and popular culture. Compared to a comic, which is periodical, a graphic novel is a complete story presented as a book, sometimes in installments. However, as a hybrid form containing language and image, a graphic novel blends and transcends both. Because graphic novels represent people of all kinds, identity is a central theme, as is the body. What histories form, and what full or partial information about our past or pasts become apparent? We will discuss widely varying representations of race, gender, sexuality, and national/cultural identity, addressing historical and cultural contexts. In addition, we will pay close attention to different forms and juxtapositions in both the visual and linguistic aspects of the texts, considering how particular choices, techniques and strategies affect us intellectually, aesthetically, emotionally, and politically.