Graphic Novels in the Classroom
When it comes to graphic novels, thoughts straightway go to the ideas of comic books, superheroes, explosions, and sound effects. Some people, mainly fans, find graphic novels to be pages filled with exciting narratives and action that lasts until the end of the page and continues into the next installment. On the other hand, some people find graphics novels to be nothing short of drab pieces, ‘kids’ stuff,’ and unintelligence colored and on paper. To them, graphic novels have nothing to offer. Nevertheless, such adverse claims underestimate what graph novels can do. It is true, on the surface level, many graphic novels and comics indeed possess bright colors and endless entertainment at the turn of a page. However, they are but a few of the numerous elements that allow comics to draw in readers. Not all graphic novels focus on fictional worlds, heroes, and story arcs. In truth, various autobiographical books capture the stories of history, real-life events and presenting them in an entertaining medium accessible to anyone. Autobiographical novels offer more of a grounded approach to comics, earning themselves places in the hands of readers of all ages and even in the classroom.
Graphic novels differ much from comic books. Comics have a targeted audience, whether they kids, teenagers, young adults, and passionate enthusiasts of fantasy and science-fiction. Graphic novels are more complex and tend to have their stories told in one to two books (Admin). The complexity is more so for autobiographical novels since they center on people and their real-life stories. Their stories come from different family lives, racial experiences, cultural customs, and even sexual orientations. Elements such as these make autobiographical novels bring insight into how they inspire, their history, how they are vehicles for representation in printed media, and what standards they hold. Greenfield’s Beyond Super Heroes and Talking Animals notes that “graphic novels are popular with teens, using a few well-chosen ones in the classroom to initiate conversations about racism, social justice, war, and global conflict is an intriguing possibility” (29). The dissertation goes on to state that these types of reading material are beneficial to students “who may not naturally see and experience what they read” (29). Autobiographical novels, especially when presented in middle school, high school, or even college classrooms, can introduce readers to the world outside of what they know. Graphic novels are known for their imagery if nothing else. The images grant an opportunity to see the work beyond the dialogue, thus focusing on the imaging context. Two autobiographical novels, Alison Bechel’s Fun Home and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis are prime examples. Both works yield different lives based on their creators, family lives, childhood experiences, and other paths in life, be it sexual orientation or even race.
The first graphic novel, Fun Home, is a graphic memoir created by Alison Bechdel. The book tells of her life, depicting her family life, sexual realization, and complicated relationship with her father, Bruce. The memoir contains themes of sexual discovery, domestic abuse, and death. In the classroom, what Fun Home can teach to students is people’s experience in a different community, mainly the LGBTQ. The element of queer sexuality is one of the guiding themes of Fun Home. It is due to its themes that the book found itself challenged outside of its pages. In Nemcek’s article, Banning Books in Warren? Parents Question English Curriculum at Watchung Hills; controversy surrounds the graphic memoir. In 2018, the Watchung Hills Regional High School expanded its English curriculum so that a broader range of literature could be fit for its students (Nemcek). The curriculum sought to include works of literature that would including all gender and sexual identities.
However, the students’ parents took offense with Fun Home, especially with its sexually explicit illustrations, and opted for the officials to remove the book. However, Ursinus college professor Domenick Scudera, who teaches Fun Home to first-year students, spoke out against the backlash. He addresses the criticism in his article, Teaching ‘Fun Home.’ He comments that he would ask his students, “Do you believe, in context, that this illustration is pornographic?” (Scudera). He further comments that, for college students, “exposure will help them to understand the world better and to strengthen their own opinions” (Scudera). In truth, the mature illustrations serve as one of the book’s greatest strengths. In the article by Akesson and Oba, Beyond Words: Comics in the Social Work Classroom, there is exploration regarding comics used by social educators. The findings examine the relevance of comics in social work education. When it comes to comics as a teaching method, the article mentions that “comics’ unique format and style combined with attention to individual and humanizing details makes them amenable to teaching important cultural phenomena because they emphasize powerful visual imagery as a way to convey important social issues” (2). The findings from focus group discussions attest that comics, via their human depicting aspects, can grasp students’ attention and immerse them in experiences beyond the class’s topic. Some comic books use black and white drawings in their art style, and other comics use color. As the image in fig.1 shows, the art style of the character is realistic, possessing a more human appearance compared to superhero comics where the characters have tighter and more augmented features.
Fig. 1. Alison is arguing with her father, Bruce, about her room’s wallpaper; Alison Bechdel, Fun Home 7 (8 Jun.2006; Houghton Mifflin; PDF).
Bechdel’s art style depicts her with the youthful appearance an average child would have. Meanwhile, her father has the natural stern features fitting of a man of more advanced age. Through art, readers can relate more to the characters because of their realistic appearance. That is not to say that readers are unable to connect to fictional superheroes in comics. However, the more natural appearances of characters such as the Fun Home casts make the material more accessible to readers on a physical level. Referring back to Nemcek’s article, “the character of Alison, as presented in Bechdel’s witty and distinctive illustrations, starts as naïve and feeling limited.” She also mentions Alison’s maturity as it grows throughout the story and how students who read it struggle with similar self-sexual discovery moments. Fig. 2 depicts Alison amid her sexual exploration. Both Nemeck and Scudera’s point is that Fun Home represents all people’s human experiences in life.
Fig. 2. Alison, in the practice of masturbation during her researches in her process of exploring her being a lesbian, Alison Bechdel, Fun Home 76 (8 Jun.2006; Houghton Mifflin; PDF).
There is also the note of the color styles in the comic. The article notes that the author-artist usually attempts to achieve a particular effect through the use of colors, with some only using black-and-white and other using colors. (Akesson and Oba 2). The article further mentions that the elements of art color in graphic memoirs make them “amenable to teaching important cultural phenomena because they emphasize powerful visual imagery as a way to convey important social issues” (2). Both Nemcek and Scudera’s point is that Fun Home depicts all people’s human experiences in life. In the beginning, we young, innocent, unaware of the world around us, or even ourselves. However, as we grow, the world becomes more apparent as our bodies and mindsets change. What makes Fun Home user-friendly to students in the classroom is its depiction of the human experience. Nemeck states that “our 18-year-old students grapple with similar issues. They easily relate to Alison in a variety of ways” (Nemcek).
Another aspect of Fun Home that serves as one of its strengths is context. The illustrations presented deliver much in terms of visuals of an alien lifestyle and relatability to the reader. With relatability comes representation. When it comes to fictional media, people become more concerned about the character they share the most qualities. In other words, people tend to see themselves as the characters in question. The article, Reading LGBT-Themed Literature with Young People: What’s Possible?, notes “when choosing LGBT-themed literature to read and discuss in English language arts (ELA) classrooms, it is also important to consider how the texts represent LGBTQ people” (Clark and Blackburn 6).
The article makes an interesting note, pulling information from fictional characters’ models, whether bi, lesbian, gay, or queer, in young adult literature from 1969 through 2004 (6). One leading portrayal is a single character, assumed to be straight, but soon comes out to be or is outed to be a gay or a lesbian. Fun Home differs in that it is an autobiographical story instead of a fictional one. That Alison did not know that she was lesbian. It is a coming-of-age story that immerses in the uncertainties of knowing one’s self upon growing up. In the beginning, the character of Alison herself is uncertain of her sexuality. Hence she reads and studies multiple books and explores sexual pleasure to understand herself (Bechdel 74-76). In its findings, Simon’s article, Collective Reading and Communities of Practice, declares that most works in English courses “should be about exposing and analyzing how we read and write our sexual identities in textual and embodied worlds” (3). Through the reading of Fun Home within a classroom, Simon’s students who participated in the research came to understand how it represents a community. However, the understanding is not immediate. Much of the book has extensive literary and cultural text that serves as a form of communication for them (8). As stated previously, Fun Home can teach students the experience of people in a different community, mainly the LGBTQ community. Alison and Bruce represent the community in ways that befit their core character and them as symbols of their time. Alison is the prime example. She represents the community through her establishment as a lesbian, taking the time to read information about sexual behavior.
Moreover, Alison represents the community through her resistance to the societal norms during years of growing up. Correia’s article, Representation of the Queer Individual in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home,’ notes that Alison struggles for both acceptance and conformity “both a familial and cultural level” (2). The cultural aspect is a characteristic element. Given that Alison was growing up in the 1960s, it is understandable why she felt trapped. At the time, gay rights, while seeing some early progress, were still far was has been accomplished in 2015 with the legalization of gay marriage (History). At the time, those who identified as LGBTQ were somewhat limited with their expressional rights.
Thus, the restrictions reduced the community to be “a kind of urban subculture routinely subjected to harassment and persecution” (History). It also does not help that Alison comes from a small community in Beech Creek, Pennsylvania, so finding friends or even family to talk about leaves her shorthanded. Also, it is fair to say that Alison is forced into the social norms for girls and women at the time. For “even at a young age, she uses her body to express herself, even as she [is being] forced to give in to the expectations dictated by her father” (Correia 2). Fig. 3 shows a clear illustration of the contrasting idea between Alison and Bruce.
Students learn from the parent-child relationship that not all parents support their children, leading them to remain confined in a particular space. However, Alison’s case proves to students that it is impossible to keep a person from discovering their identity for long. Even as Alison still lived under her father, she was not willing to live under his restrictions. In Alison’s words, “it was a war of cross purposes, and so doomed to perpetual escalation” (Bechdel 98). Even seven years after the wedding, Bruce persists in making his daughter more ladylike.
Fig.3 Alison is arguing with her on what to wear while preparing to go to a wedding; Alison Bechdel, Fun Home 98 (8 Jun.2006; Houghton Mifflin; PDF).
Alison even tells Bruce to leave her alone about wearing a pearl necklace (99). Correia’s article further states that “Alison believes she has become someone new after her first sexual experience” (4). Along with her resisting of her father’s demands, Alison shows students that, for those within the queer community, being in control of one’s body is to control one’s self. They gain liberation from heteronormative expectations. However, in the community, they do not come with their orientation. They remain closeted, or at least they hide their orientation from public eyes. In such regard, Alison and Bruce are two sides of the same coin, Alison accepts her sexuality, and her father keeps his veiled. Vincent argues in his dissertation, Performativity in Comics, the concepts of gender and sexuality are understated when studying comics and proposes that Fun Home has its use in rhetoric and composition classrooms (2). In the story, at first glance, Bruce is a man of his time in the 60s. He is a man with a wife and kids, his own house, which he refines with his two hands, and he is the ultimate authority figure in his own home. However, underneath is something else. The article further states that Bruce Bechdel, Alison’s father, complicates Fun Home as something of a “coming out” story. It is Alison’s mother who reveals that Bruce had relationships with men (67).
Furthermore, the article presents the idea that in the classroom, Fun Home can be studied by students to “destabilize heteronormativity.” In that regard, the composition classroom students will indeed find that Bruce’s role is a complete disruption of his expected heteronormative role as man, husband, and father. Fig. 4 shows Alison’s reaction to her father’s secret.
Fig. 4, Alison learns the truth about her father; Alison Bechdel, Fun Home 67 (8 Jun.2006; Houghton Mifflin; PDF).
When Alison’s mother reveals that Bruce has relationships with men, Alison can almost believe it. Alison is further shocked upon learning he had relationships with her babysitter in the past. When it comes to teaching graphic novels, Vincent notes that potential conflicts could arise based on assumptions due to introducing queer theory into the classroom. However, he urges that teachers help students to dissect and analyze the belief (Vincent 109). It is easy to go by first glance and presume that Bruce was a deviant. However, much like Alison, the students will have to look back, examining all of Bruce’s past actions for things to make sense to them. Alison’s father also represents the dark side of the LGBTQ community, being closeted. Although he steps from heteronormative expectations, he does not come full circle with his sexual orientation. Unfortunately, Bruce dies getting hit by a bread truck before he has the chance. Alison believes that it resulted from being unable to open himself about his sexuality due to living in a small community that would not understand (Bechdel 125). It also does not help that Bruce’s past reveals that he, alongside his relationship with men, was molested by farmhands as a boy and began his sexual actions in the military (58-59, 62). By the time Bruce seeming shows a remote connection with Alison, he dies before any reliable connection could be made (220-221, 225). Fun Home is a work from which students can learn a great deal, learn of different sexualities, troubled beginnings, the consequences of not being honest with one’s self. It also shows how graphic novels can introduce all those concepts and more to students with art, color, and narrative to keep them engaged.
The second graphic novel, Persepolis, is two-book autobiographical series of bande dessinées, basically a French comic created by Marjane Satrapi. The series tells of Satrapi and her life from her childhood to her adulthood. The books also contain themes of war, violence, and coming of age. Since its release, Persepolis received high critical praise, even placing as #3 of Time magazine’s “Best Comics of 2003” list (Time). Nevertheless, despite the recognition, Persepolis, much like Fun Home, would share the experience years later, a controversy. Its graphic language and images, and political viewpoint have made its use in classrooms in the United States difficult. Perhaps Persepolis’ most infamous banned moment came in 2013. In March of that year, the Chicago Public Schools ordered copies of Persepolis for seventh-grade classrooms. However, then Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett called to have them removed. She claimed that it contains “contains graphic language and images that are not appropriate for general use” (Ahmed-Ullah and Bowean).
Nevertheless, the books’ supposed vulgarity claims undermine their capability to teach students the experiences of a culture they do not know. Others have argued that such prohibitions do more to prevent students from learning. Berlatasky argues in her article, Sex, Violence, and Radical Islam, Persepolis does have graphic content. However, having children miss out on the chance of learning from different life situations because a few explicit depictions would not teach anything (Berlatasky). Botshon’s and Plastas’ article, Homeland In/Security, share their understanding from their years teaching Persepolis in classes at the University of Maine at Augusta and Bates College. From their teaching, they realize one of the obstacles of education within a post-9/11 world “is contending with persistent stereotypes and misinformation about Islam, “Arabs,” “Arab Americans,” and the “Middle East” within our student bodies” (1). It is true that since 9/11, America is wary of those who live outside of their country, especially those of the Middle East, labeling them as a terrorist despite them not having done anything. Botshon and Plastas claim to teach Persepolis in their classes for two main reasons. “First, it provides a creative venue for classroom discussions about nation, citizenship, gender, and war. Second, it offers a transversal space in which students can question Western notions about the Middle East” (2).
The article notes how the students in the class discover a new view of Middle Eastern people thanks to how Satrapi “effectively humanizes a group otherwise labeled as terrorists in these students’ minds. (5). Fig. 5 depicts the main character, Marji, and her family life when she was a young girl. The image shows a Middle East family, yet one not so different from what one might see with an average family. A loving father and mother and their child tell them what she wants to be when she grows up.
Fig. 5 A young Marjane with her parents telling them she wants to be a doctor; Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 13 (2000; L’Association; PDF).
Of course, to claim that Satrapi humanizes Middle Eastern is redundant as they are already human. In truth, what Satrapi presents, and what students learn from her work that they are simply people in a different part of the world, no better and no worse than Americans. The difference is that one is often negatively portrayed in the media. It is unfortunate that “one of the main factors contributing to Americans’ unease is their sense of Middle Easterners’ profound otherness, which is reiterated repeatedly in the media” (Botshon and Plastas 5). What Strapi’s works do for students is challenging that notion. The findings in Botshon’s and Plastas’ article show that their students found themselves relating to Marji and became introduced to the other side’s point of view when it comes to war (5). They realize that war has a disastrous effect on both sides fighting, something that the media purposely leaves out to make the one side look bad. Adds the impact that is happening in the perspective of Marji, a young girl from a place that has little history with war. In adding to Marji being a girl growing up in times of war, the article notes teaching the gendered dimensions of war to students. One student of the women’s studies class remarks on Marji’s strong, independent character who makes her own decisions and how she admires her because of her strong qualities (6). There is an example of the lively character that Marji possesses. In the first chapter of the story, Marji mentions how she believed that she was the last prophet when she was six years old (Satrapi 10). The article further says how a student was amazed by Marji’s inner strength and the strength and resolve all Iranian women have in times of war (Botshon and Plastas 6). Fig. 6 Shows Marji, even after experiencing the horrors of war, can still find moments to laugh with another family who shares her situation.
Fig. 6 Marji out at the supermarket with, laughing with another even during the Iran–Iraq War; Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 96 (2000; L’Association; PDF).
It takes a great deal of strength to laugh in times of war, especially after experiencing the nature of war, as Marji does. The students identify with and admire Marji's strength to put on a brave face to violence. They learn that people of the Middle East are just as capable of showing a moral nature in the face of danger as one anyone else. Nevertheless, independence and strong will are but parts of Marji’s character. The vital aspect of her personality comes from her sense of self. Sichan’s article, Un-veiling and Revealing, quotes Simon During’s words in his work, “People identify with their identities to a greater or lesser extent because identities constitute the framework of their lives” (37). However, Sichani explains, “Identities are not constructed by ourselves but are rather constructed for us through such outside influences as the symbol of the nation/homeland” (37). As Marji matures throughout the story, she becomes more divided with her self-identity. She becomes more attuned to the United States and western pop culture, such as music (Satrapi 130-131, 134-136, 138). At the age of fourteen, a crucial moment comes when her parents decide to send her to Austria to escape her hometown of Tehran. Before her meeting, her grandmother leaves with an important reminder, “In life, you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance... Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself” (154).
One student observes how “women in Iran do not fade away under the veil into silent, helpless passivity” (10). While in Austria, Marji notices she is assimilating more of culture, learning the language, and even her appearance and to fit with people of a different culture (Satrapi 191-193). However, she is still unwilling to sit idly by. Simultaneously, a person disrespects her culture, such as when Marji questions Momo of the supposed pointless of her uncle Anoosh’s death for his beliefs (194). Fig. 7 is an excellent example of Marji standing up for herself as a person of her people and regaining her sense of indemnity and pride for her race. Marji’s identification with her nation is not one of arrogance or disrespect for other countries but of remembrance for what she and her people have suffered during the war.
Fig. 7 Marji speaking up against cafe patrons disrespecting her race; Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis 199-200 (2005; L’Association; PDF).
Rather than hide and remain silent behind a veil, Marji decides to make her voice and let people know who she is right. Through her, students can dedicate themselves to being true to themselves instead of pretending to be something else.
Satrapi’s Persepolis offers students a different perspective on life through the view of another. When it comes to the classroom, Persepolis, unlike the media, gives readers an honest, clear-cut depiction of the Middle Eastern people. It shows what those of significant influence who make dishonest claims are not always proper. Satrapi’s work offers students a new understanding of life beyond the one they know.
As stated in the beginning, adverse claims against graphic novels underestimate what they can do. As shown by Bechdel’s Fun Home and Satrapi’s Persepolis, comics and graphic novels are more than deserving of a place within the classroom. Teaching them teaches students about the aspects of the world we live in, such as cultures, lifestyles, places, people, and history. They grant students the chance to learn about other people and themselves through relating to their stories. Through their images, art styles, narratives, both works are the best examples of how true to life novels can engage and inform the students willing to read them and the teachers willing to teach them.
References
Ahmed-Ullah, Noreen, and Lolly Bowean. “CPS Tells Schools to Disregard Order to Pull Graphic Novel.” Chicagotribune.com, Chicago Tribune, 16 May 2019, www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/chi-cps-promises-explanation-after-graphic-novel-pulled-20130315-story.html.
Akesson, Bree, and Olufunke Oba. “Beyond Words: Comics in the Social Work Classroom.” Journal of Social Work Education, vol. 53, no. 4, Jan. 2017, pp. 595–606. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1159438&site=eds-live.
Arnold, Andrew. “Top 10 Everything 2003.” Time, Time Inc., 18 Dec. 2003, content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2001842_2001833_2002064,00.html.
Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: a Family Tragicomic. Houghton Mifflin, 2015. PDF File.
Botshon, Lisa, and Melinda, Plastas. “Homeland In/Security: A Discussion and Workshop on Teaching Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.” Feminist Teacher, vol. 20, no. 1, 2009, p. 1. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5406/femteacher.20.1.0001.
Clark, Caroline T., and Mollie V. Blackburn. “Reading LGBT-Themed Literature with Young People: What’s Possible?” English Journal, vol. 98, no. 4, Mar. 2009, pp. 25–32. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mzh&AN=2016872714&site=eds-live.
Chute, Hillary. “The Village Voice.” Wayback Machine, Village Voice LLC, 11 Jul. 2006, web.archive.org/web/20060719065125/www.villagevoice.com/books/0628,chute,73800,10.html.
Correia, Samantha (2016). Sex on the Body: Representation of the Queer Individual in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Undergraduate Review, 12, 32-36.
History.com Editors. “Gay Rights.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 28 June 2017, www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/history-of-gay-rights.
M.Admin | Jan, and M.Admin. “Difference Between Comic Books And Graphic Novels.” KnowledgeNuts, 7 Jan. 2014, knowledgenuts.com/2014/01/07/difference-between-comic-books-and-graphic-novels/.
Nemcek, Brenda. “Banning Books in Warren? Parents Question English Curriculum at Watchung Hills.” TAPinto, TAP IP LLC, 23 May 2018, www.tapinto.net/towns/north-plainfield-slash-green-brook-slash-watchung/sections/education/articles/banning-books-in-warren-parents-question-english.
Satrap, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. Pantheon E-Books, 2000, 2004. PDF File.
Satrapi, Marjane, and Daisy Gard. “Persepolis.” The Literature of Propaganda, edited by Thomas Riggs, Gale, 1st edition, 2013. Credo Reference, http://proxy-bs.researchport.umd.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/galelp/persepolis/0?institutionId=2990. Accessed05 May 2020.
Scudera, Domenick. “Teaching ‘Fun Home.’” Inside Higher Ed, Inside Higher Ed, 28 Aug. 2015, www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/08/28/essay-experience-teaching-fun-home-and-why-graphic-novel-ideal-college-students.
Sichani, Afsoun M. Un-veiling and Revealing: Un-layering Constructions of the Self in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis 1 and Persepolis 2. Diss. University of North Carolina at Wilmington, 2007.
Simon Margaret. “Collective Reading and Communities of Practice : Teaching Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home.” Transformations, vol. 26, no. 2, 2016, p. 139. EBSCOhost, doi:10.5325/trajincschped.26.2.0139.
Vincent, Aimee E. Performativity in comics: representations of gender and sexuality in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. Diss. Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011.