In her article "In Defense of the Graphic Novel", author Kathryn Hansen rallies for the acceptance of graphic novels in the literary world and in the classroom. As a teacher who utilizes the graphic novel in the classroom, she has seen firsthand how graphic novels can interest students who would otherwise have a hard time focusing on a traditional book. They are also easier to understand for those with subpar reading skills or those for whom English is a secondary language. On the other hand, she has found that the addition of images can challenge a higher-level reader's analytic skills because of the added visual information. While she recognizes the criticism toward this relatively new medium, she ultimately asks for acceptance from others and recalls that the traditional novel faced the same issues before it was ultimately accepted in the 18th century.
On the other hand, critics of the graphic novel argue that the graphic novel is simply not suitable for the classroom. The genre is still young, and only a select few graphic novels are 'civilized' enough to be considered as literature. However, I would argue that there are examples of this in every genre. For every literary classic like The Great Gatsby or Of Mice and Men, there are hundreds of novels like Twilight that have no business being anywhere near a classroom. As with all things, generalizations about the entirety of graphic novels are unwise. Dismissing all graphic novels as childish and immature would cause one to miss out on true classics like Watchmen, V for Vendetta, and, Maus, all of which, in my opinion are as 'deep'or deeper than any of the classics taught in schools today.
Link: http://www.ncte.org.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1022-nov2012/EJ1022Defense.pdf
1) What is your viewpoint in this debate? Can graphic novels be considered literature?
2) Would you ever take a class in which graphic novels were used as part of the curriculum?
3) What changes need to be made in the graphic novel genre before it can be accepted as literature, if any?
I believe that graphic novels can achieve the same status as other great works of literature, and would certainly take a class if i knew that graphic novels were part of the curriculum. I don't know enough to say what graphic novels, in general, need to improve on to become more successful, but I think that they have too few readers. If more people were aware of graphic novels and read this genre, its standing in the literary world would improve.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that graphic novels should be accepted in the literary world. In my first college English class, we worked a little with graphic novels and I feel that they are not only a great literary tool, but works of art as well. I would definitely consider taking a class where graphic novels are used.
ReplyDeleteI believe that graphic novels should be accepted in the literary world. In my first college English class, we worked a little with graphic novels and I feel that they are not only a great literary tool, but works of art as well. I would definitely consider taking a class where graphic novels are used.
ReplyDeleteThe English dept. is actually getting ready to approve a class on graphic novels. It will either be offered next year or the year after. So if you're still at OSU for a few years, you may get the opportunity to take that class.
ReplyDeleteI took a graphic novel class in high school and I LOVED it. I was more invested in understanding and analyzing the material, and in response I put more effort towards homework and papers. Investing works like V for Vendetta, which was rich with Distopian references as well as famous allusions to other classic works, captured me with its text and its beautifully drawn panels. If graphic novels like this are on the rise, how could this hurt the english curriculum to teach it? I think it's a great idea.
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