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LEADING WITH QUALITY Aaron Basinger

Graphic Novels as Social Outreach: Students Seeking Empathy and Compassion Through Content Analysis Study

s teachers, we recognize that many of our students are influence that these popular stories bring, it would serve us well Acoming to our classrooms in a state of emotional distress. to incorporate them into our classrooms. For better or for worse, so much of our students’ lives are wrapped up in a social context, so when students are feeling lonely, isolated from their peers, or alienated from their community, they are far Overview of the Genre Study less likely to be academically successful (Guay, Boivin, & Hodges, 1999). And although teachers often the role of the unlicensed Content analysis can function as an objective of a literature circle, therapist, we are much better suited to create conditions that allow an independent reading project, or as a post-reading supplement for students to make their own meaning and alleviate their own to young adult fiction with strong themes of alienation, isolation, problems. The genre of memoir is uniquely suited or loneliness. Although many graphic novels utilize the superhero to address the themes of alienation, isolation, and loneliness due archetype, a content analysis conducted in the classroom that looks to the prevalence of these types of images in graphic novels. at graphic novel memoirs with literary status, serious themes, and a higher page count could replace a unit on traditional memoir. A suggested list of titles is provided at the end. The Popularity of Graphic Novels

There has been much talk about the popularity of graphic novels Suggested Unit Plan in the classroom, and for good reason—the industry is playing a significant role in . The characters and Teachers should plan on frontloading this unit with a short stories found in comic books and graphic novels are generating writing assignment connecting students to their experiences large revenues in the movie, videogame, and toy industries. The with feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness. The teacher Avengers, The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises occupy should consider writing alongside their students during this unit three of the top ten slots for highest grossing movies of all time as a form of solidarity with students. (“All-Time Box Office: USA,” n.d.). From Hell, Sin City, , Hellboy, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, After frontloading terminology and rudimentary skills in reading 300, and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen all had their start —such as checking for understanding of how to read a as graphic novels before becoming movies. The Walking Dead, graphic novel and possibly outlining the characteristics of graphic an ongoing comic book and cable television series, captured six novel memoirs—the teacher should provide multiple copies million viewers in 2010, leading basic cable viewership in the and a variety of graphic novel memoirs for students to peruse. 18 to 49 age demographic (Gorman, 2010). With the cultural For more information on how to critically read cartoons and comics, consider Scott McCloud’s (1993) Understanding Comics, Will Eisner’s (1990) Comics and Sequential Art, and Molly Bang’s Aaron Basinger teaches high school English at Amarillo ISD in Amarillo, (2000) Picture This: How Pictures Work. Texas. His research interests include nontraditional writing methods, reluctant readers, and bibliotherapy. He can be reached at [email protected].

46 English in Texas | Volume 44.2 | Fall/Winter 2014 | A Journal of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts The last portion of the study seeks to connect student findings to Responding to images of alienation, their own experiences with alienation, isolation, and loneliness so isolation, and loneliness can be that they can begin to discover ways to change their world. Ask students if they see a connection between societal violence and feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness. Do lonely people sometimes strike out at a world that has hurt them? Can students see a connection between bullying and individuals who feel thinkingexceptionally about difficult the emotional for students. isolated at school? Encourage students to empathize with, or at By guiding students to reflective least acknowledge, those whose suffer from alienation, isolation, content of their reading, we open and loneliness. Finally, ask students to commit to one thing they up the possibility of life changing can change to help a peer who has these feelings. discussions between peers in school. Conclusion As students explore the graphic novels, encourage them to make predictions based on cover art, to flip through the books, and to Responding to images of alienation, isolation, and loneliness can activate prior knowledge. The goal at this stage is to get students be exceptionally difficult for students. By guiding students to excited about reading something novel, so teachers must be reflective thinking about the emotional content of their reading, cheerleaders for these books and help students realize that they we open up the possibility of life changing discussions between can be successful during this unit. peers in school. The risk of sharing this sensitive information in a classroom that has not yet agreed to act in a civil manner cannot If time allows for two readings, have students read their graphic be overemphasized. In cases where students feel threatened to novel memoir once for pleasure and then read it again in search share or talk about strong emotions such as alienation, isolation, of images and words that would suggest a character(s) in a state of and loneliness, teachers should consider small group units of alienation, isolation, and loneliness. Consider prompting students study for students who do have the emotional stability to address to find images and words associated with sadness. If time will not these difficult topics. allow for two readings, consider isolating images and phrases within a variety of graphic novel memoirs and have students Suggested High School Reading List “gallery walk” the books with a sheet of paper. Students will need to record what they see; why they think it might be an example of alienation, isolation, and/or loneliness; and be ready to talk about Please review the relevant policy for providing books in your their findings. classroom. Always review a book before endorsing it in your classroom. After students have their findings recorded, set up a classroom The Complete Persepolis by (2007) discussion based on their findings. What did students see? What sort of descriptions did they use in their written record? What : A Family Tragicomic by (2007) words or phrases jumped out at them? How did they feel when they saw these images and phrases? Consider relabeling their by (2003) responses into content specific terminology as you compile the responses on a piece of chart paper to continue the conversation Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle (2007) on a following day. Stitches: A Memoir by David Small (2010)

The next classroom discussion should focus on the conditions Mom’s Cancer by Brian Fies (2009) that cause feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness and their possible outcomes. What causes people to feel lonely? How Epileptic by David B. (2006) do you alleviate loneliness? Why are some people alienated? How Fax From Sarajevo by Joe Kubert (1996) can they find meaningful relationships within their social circle? Why do some people feel isolated even when they are near friends The Quitter by and Dean Haspiel (2006) and family? Once students start making those connections, introduce the idea that although the characters in their graphic Palestine by Joe Sacco (2001) novel memoir experienced the feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness, their situations changed. Was the change caused by something external or internal? How did the experience change the character for the better? Did the experience have a lasting effect on the character, or were the emotions transitory? Record the discussion on a piece of chart paper and post it somewhere visible in the classroom.

English in Texas | Volume 44.2 | Fall/Winter 2014 | A Journal of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts 47 References

“All-Time Box Office: USA.” (n.d.). IMDB—Movies, TV and celebrities. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/ boxoffice/alltimegross

B., David. (2005). Epileptic. , NY: Pantheon Books.

Bang, M. (2000). Picture this: How pictures work. New York, NY: SeaStar Books.

Bechdel, A. (2007). Fun home: A family tragicomic. , MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Delisle, G. (2007). Pyongyang: A journey in North Korea. Montreal, Quebec: Drawn & Quarterly.

Eisner, W. (1990). Comics and sequential art: Principles and practices from the legendary storyteller. New York, NY: W.W. Norton.

Fies, B. (2006). Mom’s cancer. New York, NY: Abrams Image.

Gorman, B. (2010, December 6). “The Walking Dead” finale series high 6 million viewers, 3.0 adults 18-49. TV By the Numbers. Retrieved from http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it. com/2010/12/06/walking-dead-finale-draws-6-million- viewers-3-0-adults-18-49-rating/74468

Guay, F., Boivin, M., & Hodges, E. V. E. (1999). Predicting change in academic achievement: A model of peer experiences and self-system processes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91, 105-115.

Kubert, J. (1998). Fax From Sarajevo: A story of survival. Milwaukee, WI: Dark Horse Books.

McCloud, S. (1993). Understanding comics, the invisible art. New York, NY: Harper .

Pekar, H., & Haspiel, D. (2005). The quitter. New York, NY: DC Comics.

Sacco, J. (2001). Palestine. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphic Books.

Satrapi, M. (2007). The complete Persepolis. New York, NY: Pantheon Books.

Small, D. (2010). Stitches: A memoir. New York, NY: Norton.

Thompson, C. (2003). Blankets. Marietta, GA: .

48 English in Texas | Volume 44.2 | Fall/Winter 2014 | A Journal of the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts