GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE CLASSROOM AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In our Literature Class we often discuss the different literary forms we may use when teaching. One of the more controversial forms of literature (in my opinion) is the graphic novel. That being said I have seen a shift in recent years from skepticism to tentative acceptance in the classroom. A few years ago I actually had the pleasure of reading Art Spiegelman's Maus, (my first real introduction into the world of graphic novels), in an English literature class. As my final assignment I wrote an essay defending graphic novels, and specifically Maus, as a literary form. Below is an excerpt from my essay I would like to share with you.

The biggest criticism of Spiegelman’s novel Maus comes from the implication the word “comic” invokes. Rather than being commended for the potential genius of Maus as a graphic novel, Spiegelman is often accused of trivializing the sacredness of the holocaust by depicting it in comic form. Though the word comic usually conjures up images of Marvel super heroes and Archie, they are not exclusive to this genre. The graphic novel can be an innovative medium for those that understand that images like words have power, and that combined the two can create a remarkable story.  Hillary Chute’s literary analysis “A Shadow of A Past Time,” quotes an excerpt from an interview with Art Spiegelman in which he states “I’m literally giving a form to my father's words and narrative [...] to claim that comic’s makes language, ideas, and concepts "literal" is to call attention to how the medium can make the twisting lines of history readable through form” (Chute 200). Spiegelman chosen medium was able to capture the starkness of the holocaust while his approach invoked a sense of understanding in the reader.  Spiegelman achieved this through the honesty in which he showed his father’s imperfections, revealed their strained relationship, and pointed out his own faults, all within the broader holocaust story. He also incorporated panels of his and his father’s interactions as they played out in the development of Maus, within Maus. In another interview Spiegelman stated “I've entered myself into the story. So the way the story got told and who the story was told to, is as important [...] as my father's narrative” (Smith 30). The interactions between father and son form the base of the narrative, and by tell his story within the story it forces the reader into a relationship with the novel. These panels scattered throughout the novel convey a more realistic quality to the events unfolding on the pages.  Even though the characters are portrayed as animals and it is written as a graphic novel those interactions give it a more authentic feeling.

Interesting and Award Winning Graphic Novels

Shaun Tan- The Arrival (ESL, Young Adult, Middle School)
Jeff Lemire- Essex County (Canadian- Young Adult)
J.D. Arnold and Rich Koslowski- B.B Wolf and the 3 LPs (Young Adult)
Frank Cammuso- The Knights of the Lunch Table (Middle School)
Ben Hatke- Zita the Spacegirl (Middle School)