Literature
Book’s name is Maus by ART SPIEGELMAN
Identify several conventions of the comics genre. A “convention of the genre” is a technique or motif that an author or artist uses to tell a story – something the reader expects from things in that category. You will write a 5-6 page paper about Art Spiegelman’s use of the conventions of the comics genre in his epic graphic novel, Maus. I want to see you handle references to (and quotations of) several different texts WRITE: Look at the graphic novels ‘Maus’, and the second one is ‘Ms. Marvel’. Using these as your specimens, you’re going to create an argument that identifies a few conventions of the comics genre and that explains how Art Spiegelman (author of Maus) uses them to tell his dark and terrifying family stories. Provide textual evidence from multiple sources to support your thesis. A prototypical thesis will say “X, Y and Z are conventions of the comics genre. We can see them here and here in the comics I’ve found, and Art Spiegelman uses them here, here, and here, in order to ????” That’s the most important question: why does Spiegelman use those conventions? What is his artistic intention? What advantage do SPECIFIC CONVENTIONS give him in his effort to get his themes across to you? What is he trying to convey to the reader? You might deal with this part as a matter of course, or you might make a final movement of the paper out of it – it might lead to your conclusion. The conventions that I chose are speech balloons, characters’ opposing forces and drawings. So analyzing both Maus and Ms. Marvel, you should write how Art Speigelmen uses them in his comic book Maus. (You should also talk about Ms. Marvel too, they are two different comic genre maybe the differences vs. similarities, but the focus is on Maus). I have wrote just one paragraph about speech balloons (attached), it might help you but it is still lacking WHY Spiegelman uses ‘speech balloons’ in order to convey emotions. (i’ve just talked about the fact, you should add why does the author use those bubbles? to relate to emotions?).
You will write a 5-6 page paper about Art Spiegelman’s use of the conventions of the comics genre in his epic graphic novel, Maus. I want to see you handle references to (and quotations of) several different texts.
READ: You will need at least one comic book besides Maus to complete this assignment. You might learn even more by looking at the Sunday comics section of a newspaper (yes, those count!). CHOOSE SOME OTHER TEXTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Don’t wait and find yourself at a loss. I’m sure the Wellesley Booksmith has graphic novels, as does the Wellesley library. CHOOSE LOW-BROW, NORMAL COMICS – THIS WON’T WORK AS WELL IF YOU USE PERSEPOLIS OR FUN HOME!
THINK: Using those compare-and-contrast skills you learned in high school, identify several conventions of the comics genre. A “convention of the genre” is a technique or motif that an author or artist uses to tell a story – something the reader expects from things in that category. Heavy symbolism may be a convention of Romantic literature; masks, costumes, and secret identities are conventions of the superhero genre.
WRITE: Look at the graphic novels you have read, and some comics you find outside the classroom discourse. Using these as your specimens, you’re going to create an argument that identifies a few conventions of the comics genre and that explains how Art Spiegelman uses them to tell his dark and terrifying family stories.
Provide textual evidence from multiple sources to support your thesis.
A prototypical thesis will say “X, Y and Z are conventions of the comics genre. We can see them here and here in the comics I’ve found, and Art Spiegelman uses them here, here, and here, in order to ????”
That’s the most important question: why does Spiegelman use those conventions? What is his artistic intention? What advantage do SPECIFIC CONVENTIONS give him in his effort to get his themes across to you? What is he trying to convey to the reader? You might deal with this part as a matter of course, or you might make a final movement of the paper out of it – it might lead to your conclusion.