Toca Lynch

Anthony Borrero
English 1101
21 September 2011
Graphic Novel
All through high school we were taught to analyze literacy because, apparently, there is
no such thing as straight Iorward writing. I have read countless numbers oI literary pieces in
which there was an underlying theme, symbol, or motiI oI some sort. Honestly, I think that this is
the most ridiculous thing I`ve ever heard oI. II an author wants someone to read their work,
wouldn`t they want them to understand it without diIIiculty? And even iI the audience did
understand the piece oI work despite the ambiguity, who`s to say that everyone will interpret it
the same way? Like, seriously. II I read a poem about an old guy walking in the desert Ior 100
years, I don't automatically assume that the "real" message is an epic journey to "Iind his liIe`s
purpose. That makes no sense.at all. For my Iinal literacy project I decided to do a comic book.
I chose a graphic novel because its straight Iorward and the emotions are laid out...no
surprises. The pictures convey the emotion and thought that are not otherwise obviously
presented in the text. I am a Ian oI Marvel comic books, especially X-Men. In these series I
realized that ambiguity was not a common device used comic books. Everyone always knew
when Strom was upset because you SAW her eyes turn white and the sky start to Iorm thick
clouds. Everyone knew when Wolverine meant business because his indestructible claws came
jutting out oI his knuckles to cause major pain. It was plain Ior everyone to see. The only books I
elected to read were, in Iact, comic books.
Comment |T1]: nf
I want my literacy account to be simple to understand. II I showed it to anyone,
regardless oI age or culture, I want them to be able to comprehend the messages that I am trying
to convey. In the past, so many books I have read were considered 'world renowned, but I was
never able to decipher the complexity oI the writing. For example, I read Heart oI Darkness
written by Joseph Conrad in 1988 when I was a senior in high school, as depicted in my comic
book. For the liIe oI me I could not Iigure out what the novel was really saying. To me, the book
was about a man who traveled up and down the Congo River in search oI Ivory tusks taken Irom
elephants. That was it. There was no way I would have identiIied the themes oI the hypocrisy oI
imperialism or the absurdity oI evil had it not been Ior Spark Notes. How can something as
simple as Iog symbolize "sort of corollary to darkness? And since when did a sepulcher imply
death and confinement? It`s absolutely absurd.
I drew pictures with thought bubbles and simple subtext to explain the important parts oI
my literacy liIetime. I played out my story told in the third person point oI view, someone what
oI a recollection oI my literary triumphs oI downs Ialls. The short stories began in my adolescent
years oI literacy experienced and ended when at the end oI senior year on high school, with
Ilashbacks oI various important events. As portrayed in my graphic novel, I was sitting in the
classroom while having an in class discussion on Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and had a
Ilashback about when I was in the 7
th
grade. I was remembering when we were in the classroom
and the kids were picking on me Ior struggling Ior stuttering while reading out loud, which
consequently made me reluctant to read in Iront oI the class. This was made apparent though my
drawings. In any other case in literacy, that would not have been done so easily. There would
have been some long winded motiI that, consequently, would have conIusing the dickens out oI
me.
My book was drawn out in black and white; to convey my assertion oI simplicity. My
inspiration behind this was Irom Quentin Tarantinos` 'Kill Bill series, in which he implemented
Ilashbacks that had no color and used subtitles. There were scenes in the movie that served as a
preIace to the entire series that set up the events that were to Iollow using no words at all.
Ironically, these were the most inIormational and interesting moments oI the movie. This
demonstrates the way the use visuals contributed to my overall literacy experience. My Iirst book
was a picture book Bible that mother gave me when I was a child. In this book, there were
simpliIied stories oI the Bible and pictures that corresponded. When my mother was not reading
the book to me I would look at the pictures and make my own story based oII oI what I saw. For
a Iive year old, I came dangerously close to what the real story was. In particular, I remember
interpreting the story oI baby Jesus in the manger to be about a little baby that had Iamily Irom
another palace that came to bring him Christmas giIts. This proves that anyone in any stroke oI
liIe can interpret a picture based oII the details it shows. I wanted the same idea in my comic
book. Even though there is a complex way to convey my story, like the 'adult version oI the
Bible, I chose to clariIy my story with simple subtext and pictures, like my children`s Bible
book.
Another part oI my graphic novel was a segment where I Ilashed back to my youth
between the IiIth and eighth grades highlighting the progression oI complexity oI the materials
we read. As I progressed I noticed that the older I got, the Iewer pictures there were in the books,
and in my drawings I portrayed my gradual hostility toward literacy. It appeared that I had begun
to lose interest as the novels became more mature in nature, and as an eIIect, I lost the ability to
look 'deeper into what was being conveyed. Adolescent novels are less complex and do not
require analytical thought. I showed the diIIerence between the two types oI genres, one that was
a children`s book and how it was to be simply interpreted, and oI an advanced novel and how it
was interpreted cryptically.
Les Miserables composed by Victor Hugo was book that took the cake. It was oIIicial, I
hated reading. Okay I get it, the story was about redemption, Iine. Even the themes and motiIs
were straight Iorward. But why on earth was the language so hard to comprehend? I understand
that the book was written a trillion years ago, and it had to be translated, but was OxIords
English too much to ask Ior? I can`t even be upset with Mr. Hugo; I blame it on the horned
woman that Iorced us to read this Da Vinci code oI a novel. This is why I used simple text in my
comic book. When I was younger I never had to Google the controversial themes oI X-Men or
Captain Underpants.
I have had some up, downs, and moments oI uncertainty concerning my literacy
throughout the years. There have been time where I have done excessively well, and there are
also times when I thought I was Ilat out stupid. In my literacy Iinal product I Ielt that a graphic
novel would express my account the best. Honestly, not all books I have read have been
unbearable, but the books that I enjoyed had the same element in common; room Ior
interpretation. When I was a child comic books were the only thing that I would look up while
visiting the library. They were so simple, so interesting, and most importantly, eIIortless to
understand. This is ultimately why I decided to chose this genre to convey my literacy account.
I`m not implying that all literacy should be easy, I mean, I am in college. I am just arguing that
there should just be one way to interpret a novel; it should be leIt up to the individual to decide.
The reader should not be judged on their opinion, but on whether they can deIend their opinion
eIIectively; and iI there are generic themes, motiIs, and symbols, the text should be less
challenging to comprehend. In a comic book the authors mean what they say to present their
ideas.











Bibliography
"SparkNotes: Heart oI Darkness: Themes, MotiIs & Symbols." SparkNotes. Todays Most
Popular Study Guides. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/themes.html~.

SparkNotes Editors. 'SparkNote on Les Miserables. SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC.
2002. Web. 22 Sept. 2011. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/lesmis/themes.html~