Yummy: Monster or Misunderstood?

 

 

   In the graphic novel Yummy by G. Neri, the course of events that end a young boy's life are recounted. Robert Sandifer, also known as "Yummy," was 11 years old when he met his end. The story of Yummy and his gang affiliations that ended in his accidental shooting of a young girl and his own eventual death by two members of the very gang that claimed him was made even more real to me when I saw the above photo. This was the cover of Time magazine that featured Yummy and his story, highlighting Yummy's age and situation. He is described as having a "short, violent life." Was Yummy a little monster, bent on using whatever means necessary to get what he wanted or was he a misunderstood child who did not possess the ability to make good choices?

 

 

 

 

 

 

   The above panel shows the innocence that I believe redeems Yummy as an individual. He has just shot into a crowd of people and hits who he thinks is his rival. It turns out that he has instead missed and killed a young girl named Sharon. The last panel on this page shows Yummy's wide eyes and really portrays his adolescence and naivety at what he has gotten himself into.

 

 

 

 

 

   This panel really made me feel for Yummy. He has been running and hiding on his own, but he finally breaks down and calls his granny to come pick him up. He reacts like any 11-year-old boy would. He says, "it weren't my fault," but his inability to grasp what he has done and his responsibility for it is just a product of his youth. Yummy just wants to feel safe again.

 

 

 

 

   

Robert Sandifer was just a boy. He was a boy who loved sweets and slept with a teddy bear. He was also a boy who wanted to be in with the cool kids. How many of us can say that we have not done something wrong in order to impress someone else? What Yummy did was wrong, and he deserved punishment. However, he did not deserve to be shot and killed like a hunted animal. In the end, Yummy's redeeming qualities were not enough to outweigh his detrimental qualities. Yummy's last gift to all young people is a warning to not live the "short, violent life" that he did.  

 



Persepolis: American Pop Culture in Iran

 

 

 

 

   In the graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, the influence of American pop culture and American ideas in general can be seen. In the above panel (p. 6) Marjane addresses the veil that Muslim women are required to wear. In this panel I feel she is expressing her view that the veil and religion are old-fashioned, but she and her family are "very modern and avant-garde." I believe that the continued use of American culture throughout this novel was another way for Marjane and her friends to feel like they had freedom. The veil, the ideas, the political unrest made Marjane and her friends feel trapped in Iran, but the rebellious use of American clothes, music, and sayings made them feel like individuals in a land of sameness.

   In the above panel, (p.132-133) Marjane is caught by the women's branch of the guardian's of the revolution. Their job was to arrest any women they saw that were improperly veiled. In the above sequence, not only is Marjane improperly veiled, she is wearing a jean jacket, singing "Kids in America," wearing tight jeans, and wearing a Michael Jackson button. Michael Jackson is declared by one of the women to be the "symbol of decadence." Marjane manages to get out of being taken away, and as soon as she gets home she cranks up her American music and starts dancing again.

   American culture was so important to Marjane and her friends because wearing American clothes or listening to American music was their way of resisting the regime that was trying to oppress them. In the United States there was religious freedom, economic freedom, and freedom of speech. The great effort that not only Marjane and her friends, but also Marjane's parents go to to bring in Western culture to Iran shows how important these freedoms were to them. In the book, Marjane's parents go on holiday and ask her what she wants them to bring back for her. Marjane wants punk rock posters to put up in her room, so Marjane's mother rips the lining out of her husband's jacket, places the posters inside, and sews the lining back in. They risked their own safety in order to promote American culture in their daughter's life. The simple act of singing a song by an American artist or looking at a poster of an American punk rock band made the hell that the Iranian people were living in a little more bearable.

The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes

   One of the main themes in The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes is dreaming and the effect of dreams. The storyline revolves around literal dreams, but that is not what the story is about. The Sandman is more about the concept of dreams rather than the act of dreaming. This story disproves the theory that dreams are invisible, subconscious thoughts that come to us at night and disappear the next day. Throughout The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman shows us that at the root of everything known to mankind is a dream.

   One of my favorite panels in the novel is the one pictured above when Dream is in Hell after he has retrieved his helmet. He is about to leave when Lucifer threatens him by saying that Dream, just like dreams, are powerless in Hell. Dream responds by saying: "You say I have no power? Perhaps you speak truly, but you say that dreams have no power here? Tell me, Lucifer Morningstar, ask yourselves, all of you... What power would Hell have if those here imprisoned were not able to dream of Heaven?" This renders all of the creatures of Hell silent and Dream is able to leave. This panel just represents the power that the concept of dreams hold. Even in Hell, a place that is dark and condemned, dreams are necessary. The inhabitants of Hell would not be tortured if they could not dream of the glory and happiness that they were missing out on in Heaven.

   Whether Dream's bold speech in Hell will have repercussions on him or not in later stories is yet to be seen. However, the reader gets some foreshadowing of future conflict when Lucifer says, "One day, my brothers, one day I shall destroy him," after Dream leaves Hell. Dream is a complex character, not only a master of dreams, but also a master of stories. Dream as a whole is made up of bits and pieces from other stories in the world of literature. For example, the three items that he needs to regain his power, the pouch of sand, the mask, and the ruby, are all allusions to other fairytale comic stories. I did not know this until I did more research after reading The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. I did research because as a newbie to the world of comics and graphic novels, I knew nothing about all the references made in the story, so my interpretation of the story was somewhat limited. Dream is a character that not only holds the power of people's ability to dream, but also the ability to hope. I think the connection between the concept of dreams and hope is very important.

   A dream produces a story, and the storyteller is directly linked to the storyline. This might be one reason that Dream is quite similar in appearance to the author himself. Neil Gaiman tackles a daunting and important story in The Sandman series, showing readers that the act of dreaming is not as important as the concept of that dream. Although I found this graphic novel to be challenging at first, I have discovered that the concept of Dream is not as easily understood as I might think. This is a story that invades the subconscious, and requires a reader willing to delve deep into the world of dreams.

Project Proposal: V for Vendetta

   V for Vendetta is a graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. The first episodes of this comic appeared in 1982. The novel is set in the UK in the 1990's after a nuclear war has all but destroyed the world. The action is set in the near future, in a dystopian society. I chose this graphic novel for my final project because the themes of anarchism versus fascism are very important and relevant to today's society. The society we live in can benefit from reading this book because even though the novel was written over 30 years ago, the struggles of mankind are the same as they have always been. I also think the fact that so many of us in this class chose this graphic novel proves that this graphic novel would be an important addition to the syllabus next semester.

   As I was reading V for Vendetta, this panel really stood out to me. In this scene, the policeman Finch is approached by V in an abandoned train tunnel. He shoots at V with a gun. V proceeds to stab Finch in the shoulder with a knife and says, "There. Did you think to kill me? There's no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There's only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof. Farewell." I think this idea is very important to the entire work because V represents anarchy and anarchy cannot be stamped out where there is not justice. V is wounded and eventually dies, but the idea is that the people may be killed, but the spirit of anarchy can be passed on person to person.

 
 "Remember, remember, the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot". These lines reference the story of Guy Fawkes and his participation in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. The Gunpowder Plot was a failed assassination attempt of King James I in which the House of Lords was the be blown up using 36 barrels of explosives. The purpose behind this plan was to gain religious freedom. V, and eventually his protégée Evey, are determined to make a change even if buildings have to be blown up or bad guys have to be killed. They are both determined to call the people of England to action.


Work Cited

Images from https://www.google.com/images

http://www.hyperink.com/Overall-Summary-Ofldquov-For-Vendettardquo-By-Alan-Moore-b260a6

http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-v-for-vendetta/#gsc.tab=0

The Significance of Masks in Maus

 

 

   In the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman, the use of masks by the characters is very significant. Maus is the story of Art's father, Vladek Spiegelman, and his life as a Polish Jew who was persecuted and sent to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. His father survived, and here we have the gripping story that won a Pulitzer Prize and many other awards. Much controversy has surrounded this work, with critics complaining about everything from such a serious topic being conveyed through the graphic novel medium to the characters being portrayed as animals. Maus is a different kind of Holocaust tale, because it portrays the Jews as mice, the Germans as cats, the Poles as pigs, the Americans as dogs, and the French as frogs. Even through the use of animal identities, the use of masks in this story is very important. I believe the use of masks by the characters in Maus is very significant to the telling of the story.

 

 



 

   As I mentioned above, each nationality is portrayed as a different animal. Throughout the story, the reader learns about the struggle the Jews went through just to survive. The ones that survived had to be smart and innovative. I believe this is how Vladek Spiegelman survived, because he had connections and he had ingenuity. The most significant times in Maus when masks are used is whenever the Jews need to emerge into society. They have to wear pig masks to disguise the fact that they are mice (Jews). In the above panel, Vladek is trying to get back to Poland via train, but he knows he will not be able to get a ride if he is discovered to be a Jew. Vladek dons a pig mask in order to be thought a Polish traveler, and he talks the train man into letting him ride. The image in the last panel of this page was very moving to me because it is of Vladek holding the pig mask and looking forlorn as if he is thinking, "Is this how we must live now?"

 

 



   In the second book of Maus, Art Spiegelman is depicted at his drawing board some time after the first book of Maus has been published. Art is depicted in this part of the book as a human wearing a mouse mask instead of a mouse. I think this is very significant in a storytelling aspect because the idea is that the war is over, people of all nationalities and religious beliefs are accepted, and there is no reason to have to put on the "mask" of being anything but a Jew. I believe Art depicted himself as wearing a mask in this part of the story because he is saying he is a human just like everyone else, but he is first and foremost a Polish Jew.

   I really enjoyed this graphic novel, more than any we have read so far in this class. Contrary to some critics, I believe the use of animals as the characters is very effective. It helps the reader distinguish from the different races of people without having to go into too much detail every time a character speaks. I also believe the use of masks in Maus is very important, depicting the idea of hiding one's identity in a time of crisis.

Watchmen: Is Rorschach Right or Wrong?

      Rorschach, or Walter Kovacs, is a mysterious character in the graphic novel Watchmen. The reader is not sure whether to call him a psychopath or misunderstood hero. In the end, Rorschach is faced with a critical decision. Should he compromise his morals and ignore the fact that he knows Ozymandias was behind the attack on New York City which resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people in order to keep the peace between nations on the brink of war? Or should he stick with his moral compass that is telling him to be on the side of the innocent people that lie dead in the streets? The fact that Rorschach chooses to try to walk away from Adrian's hideaway convinces me that he is acting on the side of good.

     

      The above panel occurs in Chapter 1 after Rorschach has looked into The Comedian's death and tries to warn some of his masked comrades that there is a methodical killing spree going on, and they are the targets. No one wants to listen and Rorschach wonders to himself why one life matters to him when the world is on the brink of Armageddon. His answer is that evil must be punished, even if there is a larger threat on the horizon. The person behind The Comedian's death and other killings cannot be let off the hook just because there are other things to worry about. A murder is a murder.

   Rorschach makes a similar comment in Chapter 12 when he is about to leave Ozymandias's arctic fortress because he does not want to have anything to do with letting Ozymandias get away with his twisted idea of saving the world. Dr. Manhattan follows Rorschach outside and Rorschach knows that he is about to die. He says, "one more body amongst foundations makes little difference." He is commenting on the fact that Dr. Manhattan does not value a single life as he does, but life as a whole is more important. Dr. Manhattan then obliterates Rorschach. Even though he did some wrong things along the way, I believe Rorschach had the best intentions all along. Even though he probably knew he was not going to make it out of Ozymandias's fortress alive after declaring his opposition, I believe Rorschach was right in standing up for the innocent people that had died.

Behind the Mask: Bruce Wayne or Batman?

   Why do we all love superheroes? What makes them so appealing that we spend hours reading graphic novels about them or spend money to go to the theatres to watch movies about them? My answer to this is that superheroes relate to us on a personal level: they are human, but they do what we as humans cannot do. Behind the mask of Batman, Bruce Wayne is just a man who can transform into this incredible character that rids society of evil. Even when he is Batman, Bruce Wayne is still Bruce Wayne. With or without the mask, he still has this desire to help people and fight crime. This desire stems from his experience as a child watching his parents get murdered right in front of him. I believe that Batman is an amazing character, but that at the end of the day it is just a mask worn by Bruce Wayne.

  


The last panel of the volume that we read for class really stayed in my mind. The picture shows Bruce Wayne surrounded by Robin and his followers. They are making plans to band together and grow stronger as a group. I like this panel because Bruce Wayne is not depicted as Batman at the very end, he is depicted as who he really is: a man growing in age and wisdom.

 

 

   The debate will probably continue forever about whether Bruce Wayne is the mask for Batman or if Batman is the mask for Bruce Wayne. I think that each one of us has the right to interpret that for our own satisfaction. I have my answer. What is yours?

Trying New Things - From Blogging to Graphic Novels

   My name is Hannah Brown and I am a senior here at Jacksonville State University. I am studying English and Spanish in pursuit of my undergraduate degree that I will receive (if all goes well) on May 1 of this year! I absolutely love the Spanish language and am planning on becoming a state certified Spanish interpreter.
   I have a wide range of interests, from shooting targets with my .22 rifle on my family's farm to shopping for a new Michael Kors bag. I have been in love with reading since before I could actually read. I have accumulated so many novels that my bookshelves are overflowing with stacks of literature. I always wanted to pursue a career in teaching literature until I got to college and started taking Spanish and French classes. I fell in love with the Spanish language and decided I wanted to dedicate my life to helping individuals who cannot speak English communicate in everyday settings. Along with reading books and learning languages, I also enjoy experimenting with makeup. I love helping women look and feel beautiful. I believe that a woman who works hard, reads, and spreads positivity to everyone she meets is a force to be reckoned with.
   I have never read a graphic novel before this class, so I am very excited for the opportunity to expand my reading spectrum. I never realized the literary value that graphic novels possess. After flipping through the volumes that we will be reading in this class, I am looking forward to adding these books to my library!