ENG235 UofT Final Exam

What is the primary function of visual literacy?

It helps individuals decipher objects and symbols to navigate ideas and meaning within a visual world.

How does the medium of comics differ from books in terms of narrative delivery?

Comics can show information visually, whereas books must rely on telling the reader through language.

What is the definition of 'sequential art' in the context of comics?

It is a series of images arranged in a specific order to create a narrative, as opposed to a single, isolated image.

What is the Bayeux Tapestry and why is it significant to the history of comics?

It is an 11th-century 70-meter long work depicting the Norman conquest of England; it is considered a forerunner of modern comics due to its sequential imagery.

Who is often referred to as the 'father' of the comic strip?

Rodolphe Töpffer, who began drawing lines between caricatured images in the 1830s to create sequential narratives.

What role did the magazine 'Punch' play in the development of comics?

It was a popular 19th-century English cartoonist magazine that helped popularize the caricature form and sequential art.

Who is credited with creating the first comic book to contain all original material?

Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, with his 1935 publication titled 'New Fun'.

What was Max Gaines's contribution to the comic book industry?

He devised the pamphlet format for comics in 1933 and helped transition comics from newspaper strips into a standalone book format.

What is the significance of the Codex Zouche-Nuttall?

It is a pre-Columbian manuscript featuring images and dividing lines, often cited as an early example of a comic book.

How did ancient visual systems like codices and stone carvings function?

They served as mnemonic devices, religious texts, and historical records to express cosmology and worldviews.

Define 'cosmology' as used in the study of visual narratives.

It is a theory of how everything in the universe operates, encompassing religious, scientific, or personal worldviews.

What does Scott McCloud mean by 'Amplification through Simplification'?

It is the process where simplifying an image, such as a face, allows the viewer to focus on the essential meaning or universal concept rather than distracting details.

What is the 'gutter' in a comic book?

The space between panels, which is essential for the reader to mentally connect moments and construct a continuous reality.

What is 'closure' in the context of reading comics?

The mental process of connecting separate moments across the gutter to perceive a unified narrative.

What function do 'tiers' serve in comic book structure?

They act like paragraphs, helping to structure narrative flow and signal changes in time, location, or ideas.

Why is Jack Kirby often called the 'King of Comics' regarding page layout?

He utilized complex movement patterns, such as zigzags and circular motions, to guide the reader's eye through the page.

What is the purpose of 'foreshortening' in comic art?

It is a technique used in character poses to guide the reader's eye and emphasize movement or depth.

How does color contribute to the narrative of a comic?

It can be used to lighten the mood, indicate flashbacks, or emphasize dramatic moments.

What are 'glyphs' and 'pictograms' in the context of historical visual narratives?

They are symbolic images representing sounds, words, or concepts used to create narratives in early codices and carvings.

What was the primary focus of early 20th-century comic strips like 'The Yellow Kid'?

They often emphasized social difference, change, and societal fears regarding immigrants.

What is the difference between a comic strip and a comic book?

A comic strip is typically a short sequence published in newspapers, while a comic book is a standalone publication containing a collection of strips or original material.

How do comic panels affect the reader's perception of time and space?

They fracture time and space into a jagged, staccato rhythm of unconnected moments that the reader must synthesize.

What was the original name of the company that eventually became DC Comics?

National Allied Publications.

What is the significance of the 'Garden of Earthly Delights' by Hieronymus Bosch in this context?

It is a triptych that, while having a continuous horizon line, is meant to be read from left to right in a sequential form.

Why do humans recognize simplified images as faces?

Due to evolutionary development, we are hardwired to recognize the consciousness of others even in minimal representations like two dots and a line.

What is a splash page in comics?

A comic book page that is taken up by a single panel, often used to draw attention to a dramatic moment.

What is a polymorphic panel?

A panel that depicts multiple stages of movement within a single frame.

Define 'fabula' in narrative theory.

The raw material of a story, including the plot and its details in chronological order.

Define 'syuzhet' in narrative theory.

The way a story is organized or arranged, referring to the structure of the narrative.

What is the difference between classical narratives and asynchronous narratives regarding fabula and syuzhet?

Classical narratives synchronize fabula and syuzhet, whereas asynchronous narratives (like Memento) use techniques like flashbacks to rearrange the chronological order.

How does visual irony function in comics?

It relies on inferences made by the reader based on minimal cues in the image rather than the image itself containing the irony.

What is the purpose of 'rhyming panels' in sequential art?

It is used to show difference within sameness.

What distinguished 'underground comix' from mainstream comics in the 1960s and 70s?

Underground comix were often self-published, socially relevant, satirical, and depicted content forbidden by the Comics Code Authority (CCA).

What types of content did the Comics Code Authority (CCA) typically forbid?

Drug use, sexuality, blood, and demons.

Where were underground comix primarily distributed during their peak success?

Through head shops, which were stores that sold drug paraphernalia and adult-oriented items.

What was 'Raw' magazine?

An influential anthology published by Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly from 1980 to 1991, featuring alternative comic writers.

What is metafiction?

Fiction that is self-aware and focuses on the fact that it is a constructed story.

How does Art Spiegelman use metafiction in 'Maus'?

He includes himself as 'Artie' within the story, blurring the lines between narrator, subject, and creator to comment on the act of storytelling.

What is the significance of animal caricatures in 'Maus'?

They serve as a symbolic and allegorical representation of history and identity.

How does Spiegelman use 'layer imagery' in his panels?

He embeds photographs and artworks within panels and uses repetition to build meaning and show the persistence of the past.

When was 'Maus I' published in print?

1986.

What major award did 'Maus' receive in 1992?

The Pulitzer Prize.

Why did the McMinn County School Board remove 'Maus' from their curriculum in 2022?

They cited the use of profanity, a small illustration of a nude female mouse, and depictions of violence, hangings, and killings.

How did Art Spiegelman react to the banning of 'Maus'?

He called the decision 'Orwellian' and suggested it was an attempt to water down the history of the Holocaust.

What is 'communicative memory'?

A type of collective memory based on everyday, non-institutionalized communication within a group, typically spanning three generations.

What is the role of 'postmemory' in the context of 'Maus'?

It refers to the relationship that the 'generation after' bears to the personal, collective, and cultural trauma of those who came before them.

What is the primary function of the 'splash page' in terms of information density?

It provides less information than a standard page because it focuses on creating a dramatic impact on a single moment.

Who are the 'Russian Formalists' associated with the terms 'fabula' and 'syuzhet'?

Vladimir Propp is a key figure associated with these terms.

What is the relationship between images and text in Spiegelman's work?

Spiegelman achieves literary depth by integrating text with visual weight, where the images often carry the primary narrative load.

What was the public response to the banning of 'Maus'?

Sales of the book soared by 753% as a form of backlash against the censorship.

How does 'Maus' function as an act of historiography?

It recovers, commemorates, and reconstructs the collective heritage of trauma in a society that often relies on denial and silence.

According to Maurice Halbachs, how is memory formed?

Memory is made possible by social frameworks; individuals do not remember things alone but as members of groups.

What is the typical lifespan of communicative memory?

80-100 years, or approximately three generations.

In Dori Laub's theory, what role does the listener play in the testimony of trauma?

The listener is an active participant who helps create knowledge de novo, acting as a 'blank screen' on which the traumatic event is inscribed.

How does Marianne Hirsch define 'postmemory'?

It describes the relationship that the generation after witnesses of collective trauma bears to the experiences of those who came before.

How is postmemory transmitted to the second generation?

It is transmitted through images and stories so deeply that they become part of the second generation's own memories.

Why does Michael Rothberg suggest calling Maus a 'graphic narrative' rather than a 'graphic novel'?

To emphasize that it is a memoir and historical account rather than a work of fiction.

What does Hirsch mean by 'active postmemory' in the context of Maus?

It refers to the process where a second-generation individual helps a survivor process their trauma through art, testimony, or memoir.

How did Art Spiegelman's artistic style evolve between his early work and Maus?

His early work was more 'cartoony' and lacked the bleakness required to capture the Holocaust, whereas Maus remediates Holocaust imagery in a more serious context.

What is the significance of the animal motif in Maus?

It illustrates the arbitrariness of racial difference, though it has been criticized for potentially reinforcing stereotypes or dehumanizing victims.

What is 'embodied memory' in the context of Maus?

The way trauma manifests physically in survivors, such as Vladek's involuntary physical reactions or moaning in his sleep.

What was the primary critical impact of Maus in 1986?

It helped legitimize graphic narratives as serious literature and brought comics into the mainstream consciousness.

Why were some critics initially reluctant to accept Maus as a serious work?

They were skeptical of the medium of comics, believing the format was inherently for children and unsuitable for serious historical trauma.

What was Hillel Halkin's criticism of the animal metaphor in Maus?

He argued that the animal metaphor reinforced Nazi beliefs about species and was dehumanizing to the victims.

What was R.C. Harvey's critique regarding the animal allegory?

He argued that it threatened to erode the moral underpinnings of the work and played into the Nazi's own racist vision.

How does social framework influence bodily memory?

Bodily memory is shaped by social norms and expectations, not just individual experience.

Why do children of survivors often write memoirs about their parents' trauma?

It serves as a way for the second generation to help process the trauma across generations.

What does it mean that Maus 'remediates' the archive of Holocaust images?

It places existing images of the Holocaust into a new context, forcing the audience to see things that had become invisible or background noise.

What was the significance of Maus winning a Pulitzer Prize?

It was the first and only graphic novel to receive the award, marking a major shift in the public perception of comics.

How did the initial response to Maus differ from modern perceptions?

It was a major publishing success that caused queues for signed copies, which was rare for comics at the time, helping to change the perception of the medium.

What is the 'physicality of postmemory' mentioned in the text?

The way that trauma from the past returns to the second generation through physical manifestations, such as the moaning of a parent in their sleep.

Why did Spiegelman initially want to avoid using the swastika?

He felt it was too universalizing and did not effectively point to the particular instance of the Holocaust.

What is the core tension in representing difference in Maus?

The struggle between using the animal motif to show that difference is arbitrary versus the risk of treating an entire race as a monolith.

What is the relationship between the listener and the creation of knowledge in trauma theory?

The listener is essential; without a witness to hear the story, the experience of the event remains incomplete.

What dual purpose does the animal allegory serve in Maus?

It shocks readers out of familiarity with Holocaust narratives and highlights how Nazis viewed Jewish people as vermin.

Define the term 'diegesis' as used in literary analysis.

Diegesis refers to the narrative or plot of a work, as opposed to 'mimesis,' which refers to representing or mirroring reality.

What are the three diegetic layers of Maus?

The innermost (Vladek's Holocaust survival story), the middle (Art and Vladek's contemporary relationship), and the outermost (the metanarrative of the novel's creation).

How does Vladek's Holocaust story serve to 'humanize history'?

It transforms abstract historical events into accessible personal stories, emphasizing individual agency, choices, and everyday details.

What is the 'incommunicability of trauma' motif in Maus?

It refers to the recurring difficulty survivors face in communicating their experiences, often feeling their stories are too horrific to be believed.

What does the 'outermost' layer of Maus focus on?

It is a kunstlerroman that reflects on the process of creating the graphic novel, including ethical concerns and the artist's anxieties.

Define 'postmemory' in the context of Maus.

Postmemory describes how children of survivors inherit their parents' powerful memories and trauma, integrating them into their own identities.

What is a 'kunstlerroman'?

A subgenre of the Bildungsroman that focuses on the growth and development of an individual who becomes an artist.

Why might Spiegelman use animal masks in the contemporary layer of Maus?

The masks suggest that racial identity is performed rather than innate, contrasting with the 'real' identities in the main narrative.

According to Nasrullah Mambro, what defines the field of trauma studies?

The representation of psychological trauma in language and the role of memory in shaping individual and cultural identities.

How is 'trauma' generally defined in a psychological context?

A severely disruptive experience that profoundly impacts the self's emotional organization and perception of the external world.

What is 'Traumatic Realism' in Maus?

The graphic depiction of pain that aims to provide the reader with a visceral response, bringing them as close to the survivor's experience as possible.

How does the comic book form enhance the narrative of Maus?

Sequential art creates a flow that narrates the timeline of experiences, while visual symbolism and the incorporation of documents blur the lines between fact and memory.

What is the significance of the 'exercise bike' visual device in Maus?

It signifies shifts in time and engages the reader in a layered experience of memory.

How does the act of reading the book become a participatory experience in Maus?

When characters are shown with their backs turned reading pages, the reader mimics their posture, effectively becoming part of the narrative process.

What is Giorgio Agamben's concept of 'bare life'?

The reduction of individuals to biological existence (zoe) by stripping them of political rights and legal protection, making them 'killable' without consequence.

What is the difference between 'zoe' and 'bios'?

Zoe refers to biological life, while bios refers to a qualified political life.

How does the animal motif in Maus underscore Nazi ideology?

It highlights the dehumanization process where Jewish people were reduced to vermin, stripping them of their humanity.

What is a 'state of exception' according to Agamben?

A condition where sovereign power can strip individuals of their political rights and reduce them to bare life.

What does the 'middle' narrative layer of Maus primarily explore?

The present-day relationship between Art and Vladek, including the difficulties of recording testimony and Vladek's complex personality.

Why is the 'metanarrative' layer of Maus considered self-referential?

It focuses on the process of creating the graphic novel, including the author's own struggles and the ethics of portraying the Holocaust.

How does the visual form of comics underscore the authenticity of Maus?

It allows the author to incorporate historical documents like photographs, bridging the gap between historical fact and subjective memory.

What is the primary concern of the 'innermost' layer of Maus?

Vladek's oral testimony regarding his survival in 1930s Poland and the Holocaust.

What is the significance of the pig mask in Maus?

It serves as a visual detail that underscores the constructed nature of racial categories.

According to Carl Schmitt, who is the sovereign?

The sovereign is the one who has the power to decide on exceptions to the law.

What does Giorgio Agamben mean by 'bare life'?

A state where human life is reduced to its biological existence, making it politically disposable and outside legal protection.