ENGL 1005 Literature: A Global Perspective Week 10

Course Overview

• Course Code: ENGL 1005 (Sec. 2)
• Final Exam Date and Time: April 12, 2025 @ 3:30 pm
• Location: Dalplex
• Dalhousie’s exam schedule: Dalhousie Exam Schedule

Introduction to Graphic Novels

• Graphic Novel Definition:

  • A longer and durable form of comic book.
  • Typically narrates a single, coherent story.
  • Themes and content are usually more adult compared to traditional comic books.

• Comics as a Genre:

  • An umbrella term for various forms, including graphic novels, cartoons, comix, and visual literature.
  • Defined by Scott McCloud as:
    > "Juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate sequence intended to convey information and/or to produce an aesthetic response in the viewer." (Scott McCloud, 9)

Key Terms in Comics and Graphic Novels

• Panels:
  • Frames that contain images, guiding the reader's eye and understanding.
• Gutters:
  • The space between panels, which can heavily impact the pacing and interpretation of the story.
• Word Balloons:
  • Enclose dialogue spoken by characters.
• Captions:
  • Narration typically presented in square boxes, providing context or commentary.
• Sound Effects:
  • Words that phonetically represent sounds, often used for dramatic effect (e.g., "BANG!").
• Emanata:
  • Lines surrounding a character indicating emotions or states of mind.
• Thought Balloons:
  • Encloses a character’s thoughts, typically in a fluffy shape.
• Splash Page:
  • A page consisting of one large panel, used to emphasize a moment.

Understanding Comics: Closure and Transitions

• Closure:
  • Defined by McCloud as the mental process by which readers fill in gaps between panels, creating a complete narrative from fragmented images.
• Transitions:
  • Different methods of advancing the narrative:
    • Moment-to-moment: Captures small shifts in time.
    • Action-to-action: Shows different actions by the same character.
    • Subject-to-subject: Shifts focus between different subjects in a single scene.
    • Scene-to-scene: Bridges more significant temporal or spatial gaps.
    • Aspect-to-aspect: Looks at different aspects of a single scene without following time.
    • Non-sequitur: Panels lacking logical connections, producing a jarring effect.

Insights on Marjane Satrapi and Persepolis

• Author Background:
  • Marjane Satrapi, born in 1969 in Tehran.
  • Known for works like