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1: Comics as Literature

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    For the first few weeks, we will be studying comics as literature. Here, you will find some of our readings, research, and literature connected to comics as literature. Below is the prompt for Essay 1.

    Essay 1- March-Prompt Breakdown

    Essay 1:

    “Comics as Literature”

    Purpose: This assignment will provide you with an opportunity to begin thinking in an analytical way about the elements of literature you will be studying in ENGL 102.

    Required Readings: To help us understand the structure and language of the comic or graphic novel form, we will read the following texts:

    *Available on our course website:

    Lewis, John, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell. March: Book One- Three. Ed. Chris Staros. Top Shelf Publications, 2016. Print.

    “Visual Rhetoric/Visual Literacy: Writing About Comics and Graphic Novels.” Thompson Writing Program. Duke U. Web. 2 Sept. 2015. (Available ONLINE at http://twp.duke.edu/uploads/media_it...c.original.pdf)

    Directions: Write a 3-6 page thesis-driven essay that analyzes how the form of the comic contributes to a particular theme or message. Specifically, how do the images and words interact with each other to create meaning in the graphic novel March: Book One- Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (posted on our course website).

    For example, how does the selection from March: Book Three use structural elements (various mixtures of light, and dark and words and silence, etc.) to convey the novel’s opening theme?

    Sample Thesis: "The theme of alienation is depicted in the graphic novel through the facial expressions of the characters, the use of shading, and the use of color."

    (Hint: Theme+ Three Structural Elements=Thesis)

    Your essay should be typed and should conform to the MLA format requirements listed in the course syllabus.

    Your 3-6 page essay will:

    • Argue a Thesis: argue that a specific theme in the story is presented through three structural elements
    • Describe what you observe: describe the visual and narrative elements in your chosen pages, using the specialized vocabulary of graphic novels we have discussed in class.

    · Analyze Theme: analyze how the choices that the graphic novelist has made emphasize a specific theme.

    · Use Evidence: use quotes and examples from the text to support and illustrate your analysis.

    Requirements

    • 3-6 pages
    • MLA format + Works Cited Page
    • 3 structural devices(w/definitions) + 1 theme/message

    Video Lecture- March Prompt- Essay 1 Breakdown -00:03:32

    1: Comics as Literature is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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