The V's Motivation of Being a Terrorist As Seen in Alan

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The V's Motivation of Being a Terrorist As Seen in Alan PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI V’S MOTIVATION OF BEING A TERRORIST AS SEEN IN ALAN MOORE’S V FOR VENDETTA GRAPHIC NOVEL A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Andreas Leo Kresnawan Putra Student Number: 131214163 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2018 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI V’S MOTIVATION OF BEING A TERRORIST AS SEEN IN ALAN MOORE’S V FOR VENDETTA GRAPHIC NOVEL A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS Presented as Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in English Language Education By Andreas Leo Kresnawan Putra Student Number: 131214163 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY YOGYAKARTA 2018 i PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI “It gives me strength to have somebody to fight for; I can never fight for myself, but, for others, I can kill.” Emilie Autumn, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls This thesis is dedicated to: My Parents Cyprianus Louis Noviatno And Agnes Widyastuti “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” Lao Tzu iv PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY I honestly declare that this thesis, which I have written, does not contain the work or parts of the work of other people, except those cited in the quotations and the references, as a scientific paper should. Yogyakarta, 15 December 2017 The writer Andreas Leo Kresnawan Putra 131214163 v PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH UNTUK KEPENTINGAN AKADEMIS Yang bertanda tangan di bawah ini, saya mahasiswa Universitas Sanata Dharma: Nama : Andreas Leo Kresnawan Putra NIM : 131214163 Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma, karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul: V’S MOTIVATION OF BEING A TERRORIST AS SEEN IN ALAN MOORE’S V FOR VENDETTA GRAPHIC NOVEL Beserta perangkat yang dipelukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk keperluan akademis tanpa perlu meminta izin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis. Demikian pernyataan ini saya buat dengan sebenarnya. Dibuat di Yogyakarta Pada tanggal: 15 Desember 2017 Yang menyatakan Andreas Leo Kresnawan Putra vi PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ABSTRACT Putra, Andreas Leo Kresnawan. (2018). V’s Motivation of being a Terrorist as seen in Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta Graphic Novel. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Department of Language and Art Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University. This study analyses a graphic novel written by Alan Moore, and illustrated by David Lloyd. The graphic novel’s title is V for Vendetta. The graphic novel tells the story of a masked terrorist codename V, who wants to deliver and apply his belief of self-freedom to England. This goal needs a free-suppressed situation, therefore, he has to take down the dictatorship government that rules England at that time, Norsefire. There are two problems analyzed in this study: (1) What are V’s characteristics as a terrorist as seen in V for Vendetta graphic novel? (2) What are V’s motivations of being a terrorist as seen in V for Vendetta graphic novel? The first question’s findings will support the findings of the second question. In order to answer the questions, a formalist approach is used because the study analyses the character of V as a terrorist. Psychological approach is also applied in this study to answer the second question about motivation. The psychological approach will be connected into terrorist’s psychology. Based on the analysis, V plays a role as a terrorist. His characters in the graphic novel are described as strong and brave, mysterious, vicious, and genius. He can jump into a moving train from the bridge, knocks out one train driver, two armed guards, and abducts the announcer of the ruled regime. Then, he makes the announcer insane and returns him to the Norsefire’s radio tower. The main motivation of V can be seen through the two theories applied. V’s motivation is his personal achievement. He wants to deliver his belief of self-freedom and make people of England apply it. The only obstacle is the dictatorship government that suppress England, Norsefire. Thus, he has to eliminate it. However, the complexity of motivation included his needs of safety. His need to still be alive until his goal achieved motivates him to kill all ex-employees of Larkhill camp, and get a secret safe house. After his safety need is fulfilled, he chases the goal of his belief. He persuades England people by spreading his message after hacking a television tower. After eliminating the vital branches of the government, he successfully makes a chaotic situation. Then, as the final part of his achievement, he decides to die and leave the belief of self-freedom to his successor, Evey, and people of England. Keywords: motivation, terrorist, graphic novel vii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ABSTRAK Putra, Andreas Leo Kresnawan Putra. (2018). V’s Motivation of being a Terrorist as seen in Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta Graphic Novel. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Jurusan Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan, Universitas Sanata Dharma. Studi ini menganalisis sebuah novel grafis yang ditulis oleh Alan Moore dan diilustrasi oleh David Lloyd. Judul grafis novel tersebut adalah V for Vendetta. Novel grafis tersebut menceritakan tentang seorang teroris bertopeng dengan kode nama V yang ingin menyampaikan prinsipnya akan kemerdekaan individual dan membuat warga Inggris mengaplikasikannya. Tujuan ini membutuhkan situasi yang bebas tekanan, oleh karena itu, ia harus meruntuhkan pemerintahan diktator yang menguasai Inggris pada saat itu, Norsefire. Terdapat dua pokok permasalahan dalam studi ini: (1) Bagaimana karakteristik V sebagai teroris yang tampak dalam novel grafis V for Vendetta? (2) Apa saja motivasi V menjadi teroris yang tampak dalam novel grafis V for Vendetta? Analisis pada pertanyaan pertama akan mendukung analisis di pertanyaan kedua. Untuk menjawab pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut, pendekatan formalis digunakan untuk membahas karakter V sebagai teroris. Pendekatan psikologi juga diaplikasikan pada studi ini untuk menjawab pertanyaan kedua tentang motivasi. Pendekatan psikologi akan dikaitkan dengan psikologi teroris. Berdasarkan analisis, V memainkan peran sebagai terroris. Karakter- karakternya dalam novel grafis digambarkan sebagai teroris yang kuat, berani, misterius, kejam, dan jenius. Ia mampu melompat dari sebuah jembatan ke atas kereta api yang bergerak, melumpuhkan seorang masinis, dua pengawal bersenjata, dan menculik seorang penyiar dari rezim yang berkuasa. Lalu, ia membuat sang penyiar gila dan mengembalikannya ke menara radio milik Norsefire. Motivasi utama dari V dapat diamati melalui dua teori yang telah diaplikasikan. Motivasi V adalah prestasi diri. Ia ingin menyampaikan prinsipnya akan kemerdekaan individual dan membuat warga Inggris menggunakannya. Satu-satunya penghalang yang ada adalah pemerintahan diktator yang menindas Inggris, Norsefire. Maka dari itu, ia harus menghilangkannya. Bagaimanapun, kompleksitas dari motivasi mencakup kebutuhannya akan keamanan. Kebutuhannya untuk tetap hidup hingga tujuannya terpenuhi memberikan motivasi untuk membunuh semua bekas karyawan Larkhill camp, serta memiliki sebuah markas rahasia. Setelah kebutuhan kemanannya terpenuhi, ia mengejar tujuan dari prinsipnya. Ia membujuk warga Inggris dengan menyebarkan pesannya setelah meretas sebuah menara televisi. Setelah membuat cabang-cabang vital pemerintahan lumpuh, ia sukses menciptakan kekacauan. Lalu sebagai bagian akhir dari pencapaiannya, ia memutuskan untuk mati dan meninggalkan prinsipnya akan kemerdekaan individual kepada penerusnya, Evey, dan kepada warga Inggris. Kata Kunci: motivasi, teroris, novel grafis viii PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to Lord Jesus for the blessing. I also would to thank my guardian angel, Saint Andrew for keeping me safe from any danger. I believe that they always give their blessings during my struggle to finish this research. My deepest gratitude is dedicated to my parents, Agnes Widyastuti S.Pd and Cyprianus Louis Noviatno S.Pd. I am so thankful for their support, love, and care to me during my study. I am greatly indebted to my thesis advisor, Priyatno Ardi, S.Pd., M.Hum., for his patience and for keeping my spirit up by always reminding me to work on my thesis. I am so grateful to be able to talk with him, so that I can comfortably express things that comes up in my mind. I would also like to express my gratitude to Maria Vincentia Eka Mulatsih, S.S., M.A., for her effort to guide me and answer my questions patiently. She always finds a way to encourage me and
Recommended publications
  • A Construção Histórica Na Graphic Novel V for Vendetta: Aspectos Políticos, Sociais E Culturais Na Inglaterra (1982-1988)
    UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE PELOTAS INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS HUMANAS PROGRAMA DE PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO EM HISTÓRIA Dissertação A construção histórica na graphic novel V for Vendetta: aspectos políticos, sociais e culturais na Inglaterra (1982-1988). Felipe Radünz Krüger Pelotas, 2014 2 Felipe Radünz Krüger A construção histórica na graphic novel V for Vendetta: aspectos políticos, sociais e culturais na Inglaterra (1982-1988). Dissertação apresentada ao Programa de Pós- Graduação em História da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, como requisito parcial à obtenção do título de Mestre em História. Orientadora: Profª Drª Larissa Patron Chaves Pelotas, 2014 3 4 Felipe Radünz Krüger A construção histórica na graphic novel V for Vendetta: aspectos políticos, sociais e culturais na Inglaterra da década de 1980 Dissertação aprovada, como requisito parcial, para obtenção do grau de Mestre em História, Programa de Pós-Graduação em História, Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Data da Defesa: 11/04/2014 Banca examinadora: Prof. Dr. Larissa Patron Chaves (Orientador) Doutora em História pela Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos Prof. Dr. Arthur Lima de Avila Doutor em História pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul Prof. Dr. Nádia da Cruz Senna Doutora em Ciências da Comunicação pela Universidade de São Paulo Prof. Dr. Aristeu Elisandro Machado Lopes Doutor em História pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul 5 Agradecimentos Após o termino da escrita, pensei finalmente ter acabado meu trabalho. Todavia, ao iniciar a formatação do texto, deparei-me com o espaço direcionado aos agradecimentos e comecei automaticamente a lembrar das pessoas responsáveis pela minha formação pessoal e profissional. Após alguns minutos, conclui que por mais que me esforce, não tenho como agradecer a todos os que ajudaram a formar o indivíduo e o historiador que sou hoje.
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright 2013 Shawn Patrick Gilmore
    Copyright 2013 Shawn Patrick Gilmore THE INVENTION OF THE GRAPHIC NOVEL: UNDERGROUND COMIX AND CORPORATE AESTHETICS BY SHAWN PATRICK GILMORE DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2013 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Michael Rothberg, Chair Professor Cary Nelson Associate Professor James Hansen Associate Professor Stephanie Foote ii Abstract This dissertation explores what I term the invention of the graphic novel, or more specifically, the process by which stories told in comics (or graphic narratives) form became longer, more complex, concerned with deeper themes and symbolism, and formally more coherent, ultimately requiring a new publication format, which came to be known as the graphic novel. This format was invented in fits and starts throughout the twentieth century, and I argue throughout this dissertation that only by examining the nuances of the publishing history of twentieth-century comics can we fully understand the process by which the graphic novel emerged. In particular, I show that previous studies of the history of comics tend to focus on one of two broad genealogies: 1) corporate, commercially-oriented, typically superhero-focused comic books, produced by teams of artists; 2) individually-produced, counter-cultural, typically autobiographical underground comix and their subsequent progeny. In this dissertation, I bring these two genealogies together, demonstrating that we can only truly understand the evolution of comics toward the graphic novel format by considering the movement of artists between these two camps and the works that they produced along the way.
    [Show full text]
  • Text and Image in Translation
    CLEaR, 2016, 3(2), ISSN 2453 - 7128 DOI: 10.1515/clear - 2016 - 0013 Text and Image in T ranslation Milena Yablonsky Pedagogical University of Cracow, Poland [email protected] Abstract The primary objective of the following paper is t he analysis of selected issues related to the translation of comic books. The paper aims at investigating the relationships between the text and the image and their implications in the process of translation. It reflects on the status of the translation of comics/graphic novels - a still largely unexp loited area within Translation Studies and briefly presents a definition and specificity of the genre. Moreover, it discusses Jakobson’s (1971) tripartite distinction into interlinguistic, intralinguistic and intersemiotic translation. The paper concludes with the analysis of certain issues associated with the Polish translation of V like Vendetta by Alan Moore, a text that is copious with intertextual and cultural references. Keywords: graphic novel, comics, V like Vendetta , Jakobson, constrained translat ion, intertextuality Introduction The translation of comic books still occupies a rather unexploited area within the discipline of Translation Studies, maybe due to the fact that it “might be perceived as a field of l esser interest” (Zanettin 273) and comics are usually regarded as an artistic form of a lower status. In Dictionary of Translation Studies by Shuttleworth and Cowie there is no t a single entry on comics. They refer to them only when they explain the term “multi - medial texts” ( 109 - 1 10) as: “ . The multi - medial category consists of texts in which the ver bal content is supplemented by elements in other media; however, all such texts will also simultaneously belong to one of the other, main text - type .
    [Show full text]
  • “Why So Serious?” Comics, Film and Politics, Or the Comic Book Film As the Answer to the Question of Identity and Narrative in a Post-9/11 World
    ABSTRACT “WHY SO SERIOUS?” COMICS, FILM AND POLITICS, OR THE COMIC BOOK FILM AS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY AND NARRATIVE IN A POST-9/11 WORLD by Kyle Andrew Moody This thesis analyzes a trend in a subgenre of motion pictures that are designed to not only entertain, but also provide a message for the modern world after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The analysis provides a critical look at three different films as artifacts of post-9/11 culture, showing how the integration of certain elements made them allegorical works regarding the status of the United States in the aftermath of the attacks. Jean Baudrillard‟s postmodern theory of simulation and simulacra was utilized to provide a context for the films that tap into themes reflecting post-9/11 reality. The results were analyzed by critically examining the source material, with a cultural criticism emerging regarding the progression of this subgenre of motion pictures as meaningful work. “WHY SO SERIOUS?” COMICS, FILM AND POLITICS, OR THE COMIC BOOK FILM AS THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY AND NARRATIVE IN A POST-9/11 WORLD A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Communications Mass Communications Area by Kyle Andrew Moody Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2009 Advisor ___________________ Dr. Bruce Drushel Reader ___________________ Dr. Ronald Scott Reader ___________________ Dr. David Sholle TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .......................................................................................................................... III CHAPTER ONE: COMIC BOOK MOVIES AND THE REAL WORLD ............................................. 1 PURPOSE OF STUDY ...................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • V for Vendetta’: Book and Film
    UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE LETRAS DEPARTAMENTO DE ESTUDOS ANGLÍSTICOS “9 into 7” Considerations on ‘V for Vendetta’: Book and Film. Luís Silveiro MESTRADO EM ESTUDOS INGLESES E AMERICANOS (Estudos Norte-Americanos: Cinema e Literatura) 2010 UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA FACULDADE DE LETRAS DEPARTAMENTO DE ESTUDOS ANGLÍSTICOS “9 into 7” Considerations on ‘V for Vendetta’: Book and Film. Luís Silveiro Dissertação orientada por Doutora Teresa Cid MESTRADO EM ESTUDOS INGLESES E AMERICANOS (Estudos Norte-Americanos: Cinema e Literatura) 2010 Abstract The current work seeks to contrast the book version of Alan Moore and David Lloyd‟s V for Vendetta (1981-1988) with its cinematic counterpart produced by the Wachowski brothers and directed by James McTeigue (2005). This dissertation looks at these two forms of the same enunciation and attempts to analise them both as cultural artifacts that belong to a specific time and place and as pseudo-political manifestos which extemporize to form a plethora of alternative actions and reactions. Whilst the former was written/drawn during the Thatcher years, the film adaptation has claimed the work as a herald for an alternative viewpoint thus pitting the original intent of the book with the sociological events of post 9/11 United States. Taking the original text as a basis for contrast, I have relied also on Professor James Keller‟s work V for Vendetta as Cultural Pastiche with which to enunciate what I consider to be lacunae in the film interpretation and to understand the reasons for the alterations undertaken from the book to the screen version. An attempt has also been made to correlate Alan Moore‟s original influences into the medium of a film made with a completely different political and cultural agenda.
    [Show full text]
  • Overthrowing Vengeance: the Role of Visual Elements in V for Vendetta
    Overthrowing Vengeance: The Role of Visual Elements in V for Vendetta Pedro Moreira University of Porto, Portugal Citation: Pedro Moreira, ”Overthrowing Vengeance: The Role of Visual Elements in V for Vendetta ”, Spaces of Utopia: An Electronic Journal , nr. 4, Spring 2007, pp. 106-112 <http://ler.letras.up.pt > ISSN 1646-4729. Introduction The emergence of the critical dystopia genre in the 1980s allowed for the appearance of a body of literature capable of both informing and prompting readers to action. The open-endness of these works, coupled with the sense of critique, becomes a key element in performing a catalyst function and maintaining hope within the text. V for Vendetta , by Alan Moore, with illustrations by David Lloyd, first published in serial form between 1982 and 1988 and, later, in 1990, as a graphic novel is one of such works. Appearing during the political climate of Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government, it became a cult classic amongst graphic novels readers and collectors. A film adaptation was released in 2006, from a screenplay by the Wachowski brothers, to different reactions from the graphic novel’s creators; Moore withdrew his support and denied any involvement in the adaptation while David Lloyd publicly confessed his admiration for the movie. I first became interested in the series due to its gritty realism, and the enigmatic, cultured figure of the protagonist. In fact, V for Vendetta ’s universe is quite distant from the comic book genre, which is dominated by God-like figures such as Superman or Spiderman. Also, the sheer scope of reference in the work, ranging from Blake and Shakespeare to the Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground, added to my interest, making it the subject of this paper.
    [Show full text]
  • Graphic Novel Titles
    Comics & Libraries : A No-Fear Graphic Novel Reader's Advisory Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives February 2017 Beginning Readers Series Toon Books Phonics Comics My First Graphic Novel School Age Titles • Babymouse – Jennifer & Matthew Holm • Squish – Jennifer & Matthew Holm School Age Titles – TV • Disney Fairies • Adventure Time • My Little Pony • Power Rangers • Winx Club • Pokemon • Avatar, the Last Airbender • Ben 10 School Age Titles Smile Giants Beware Bone : Out from Boneville Big Nate Out Loud Amulet The Babysitters Club Bird Boy Aw Yeah Comics Phoebe and Her Unicorn A Wrinkle in Time School Age – Non-Fiction Jay-Z, Hip Hop Icon Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain The Donner Party The Secret Lives of Plants Bud : the 1st Dog to Cross the United States Zombies and Forces and Motion School Age – Science Titles Graphic Library series Science Comics Popular Adaptations The Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan The Red Pyramid – Rick Riordan The Recruit – Robert Muchamore The Nature of Wonder – Frank Beddor The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs House of Night – P.C. Cast Vampire Academy – Richelle Mead Legend – Marie Lu Uglies – Scott Westerfeld Graphic Biographies Maus / Art Spiegelman Anne Frank : the Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography Johnny Cash : I See a Darkness Peanut – Ayun Halliday and Paul Hope Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi Tomboy / Liz Prince My Friend Dahmer / Derf Backderf Yummy : The Last Days of a Southside Shorty
    [Show full text]
  • Alan Moore V for Vendetta
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Humanities Commons Early draft of essay eventually published in Sexual Ideology in the Works of Alan Moore Comer 1 “Body Politics: Unearthing an Embodied Ethics in V for Vendetta” Todd A. Comer In light of the oft-made allegation that superheroes are in many respects carbon copies of the fascist world that they were consciously or unconsciously intended to oppose, V for Vendetta may be Alan Moore’s most direct commentary on the superheroic body and its desires. Intimations of fascism, of course, are everywhere in Moore’s work. The German soldier who shatters Alice’s mirror in Lost Girls, William Gull’s bird-like transcendence in From Hell, Superman’s repression of the too-earthy Swamp Thing in “The Jungle Line,” Moriarty’s cavorite- fueled journey toward heaven (and death) in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen—all speak to Moore’s critique of the superheroic tendency to marginalize the world and others. Moore and David Lloyd’s graphic novel is the most direct commentary on the superhero body if only because the body of the hero and villain are obnoxiously present, even as they strangely absent themselves. The novel appears to ground agency to an embodied totalitarian world in terms of (dis)embodiment. Agency is, of course, an issue of the body and its representation, but Moore and Lloyd get it wrong, at least on one overt level, by misunderstanding the ultimate goal of fascism and reproducing a notion of agency that merely reproduces on another level the (ontological) state that it presumes to counter.
    [Show full text]
  • Writing About Comics
    NACAE National Association of Comics Art Educators English 100-v: Writing about Comics From the wild assertions of Unbreakable and the sudden popularity of films adapted from comics (not just Spider-Man or Daredevil, but Ghost World and From Hell), to the abrupt appearance of Dan Clowes and Art Spiegelman all over The New Yorker, interesting claims are now being made about the value of comics and comic books. Are they the visible articulation of some unconscious knowledge or desire -- No, probably not. Are they the new literature of the twenty-first century -- Possibly, possibly... This course offers a reading survey of the best comics of the past twenty years (sometimes called “graphic novels”), and supplies the skills for reading comics critically in terms not only of what they say (which is easy) but of how they say it (which takes some thinking). More importantly than the fact that comics will be touching off all of our conversations, however, this is a course in writing critically: in building an argument, in gathering and organizing literary evidence, and in capturing and retaining the reader's interest (and your own). Don't assume this will be easy, just because we're reading comics. We'll be working hard this semester, doing a lot of reading and plenty of writing. The good news is that it should all be interesting. The texts are all really good books, though you may find you don't like them all equally well. The essays, too, will be guided by your own interest in the texts, and by the end of the course you'll be exploring the unmapped territory of literary comics on your own, following your own nose.
    [Show full text]
  • Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen
    NACAE National Association of Comics Art Educators Reading Questions: Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons's Watchmen 1. What different themes does this book explore? Be as detailed and exhaustive as possible. 2. Pick a panel and analyze how Moore and Gibbons combine text and visuals to their utmost effect. 3. Pick a page and analyze its overall layout. How does the page as a whole make use of the comic book format to achieve meaning and impact. You might find it helpful to consider the larger themes of Watchmen. 4. Visual motifs are recurrent images that take on specific meanings relevant to a given work. What visual motifs appear throughout Watchmen and what meanings do they suggest? 5. How does the issue of crimefighting evolve over time in the world imagined in Watchmen? 6. Consider the names "Rorschach" and "Ozymandias." Why are these particularly appropriate names for these two characters? 7. Which character or characters do you sympathize with most? Why? 8. What does Chapter IV, "Watchmaker," reveal to us about Dr. Manhattan? How does he experience time? What are his interests? How would you summarize his view of existence? 9. How do Moore and Gibbons use the imagined history in Watchmen to comment on real events in 20th century America? 10. Look closely at Chapter V, "Fearful Symmetry." How does the idea of "symmetry" play out in this chapter in both form and content? 11. What are the worldviews of Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach, and Adrian Veidt? Where do these worldviews intersect? Where do they differ? 12. What does Watchmen suggest about masked crimefighters and their costumes? Which characters bring these ideas most clearly into focus? 13.
    [Show full text]
  • Growing up with Vertigo: British Writers, Dc, and the Maturation of American Comic Books
    CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by ScholarWorks @ UVM GROWING UP WITH VERTIGO: BRITISH WRITERS, DC, AND THE MATURATION OF AMERICAN COMIC BOOKS A Thesis Presented by Derek A. Salisbury to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts Specializing in History May, 2013 Accepted by the Faculty of the Graduate College, The University of Vermont, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, specializing in History. Thesis Examination Committee: ______________________________________ Advisor Abigail McGowan, Ph.D ______________________________________ Melanie Gustafson, Ph.D ______________________________________ Chairperson Elizabeth Fenton, Ph.D ______________________________________ Dean, Graduate College Domenico Grasso, Ph.D March 22, 2013 Abstract At just under thirty years the serious academic study of American comic books is relatively young. Over the course of three decades most historians familiar with the medium have recognized that American comics, since becoming a mass-cultural product in 1939, have matured beyond their humble beginnings as a monthly publication for children. However, historians are not yet in agreement as to when the medium became mature. This thesis proposes that the medium’s maturity was cemented between 1985 and 2000, a much later point in time than existing texts postulate. The project involves the analysis of how an American mass medium, in this case the comic book, matured in the last two decades of the twentieth century. The goal is to show the interconnected relationships and factors that facilitated the maturation of the American sequential art, specifically a focus on a group of British writers working at DC Comics and Vertigo, an alternative imprint under the financial control of DC.
    [Show full text]
  • The Metacomics of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis
    University of Alberta Telling Stories About Storytelling: The Metacomics of Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Warren Ellis by Orion Ussner Kidder A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Department of English and Film Studies ©Orion Ussner Kidder Spring 2010 Edmonton, Alberta Permission is hereby granted to the University of Alberta Libraries to reproduce single copies of this thesis and to lend or sell such copies for private, scholarly or scientific research purposes only. Where the thesis is converted to, or otherwise made available in digital form, the University of Alberta will advise potential users of the thesis of these terms. The author reserves all other publication and other rights in association with the copyright in the thesis and, except as herein before provided, neither the thesis nor any substantial portion thereof may be printed or otherwise reproduced in any material form whatsoever without the author's prior written permission. Library and Archives Bibliothèque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l’édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-60022-1 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-60022-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non- L’auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l’Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non- support microforme, papier, électronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats.
    [Show full text]