Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Dissertations Graduate College 8-2009 From Picture to Word to the World: A Multimodal, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching Graphic Novels in the English Classroom Shannon Renee Mortimore Western Michigan University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations Part of the Education Commons, and the English Language and Literature Commons Recommended Citation Mortimore, Shannon Renee, "From Picture to Word to the World: A Multimodal, Cultural Studies Approach to Teaching Graphic Novels in the English Classroom" (2009). Dissertations. 708. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/708 This Dissertation-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM PICTURE TO WORD TO THE WORLD: A MULTIMODAL, CULTURAL STUDIES APPROACH TO TEACHING GRAPHIC NOVELS IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM by Shannon Renee Mortimore A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of English Advisor: Gwen A. Tarbox, Ph.D. Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan August 2009 FROM PICTURE TO WORD TO THE WORLD: A MULTIMODAL, CULTURAL STUDIES APPROACH TO TEACHING GRAPHIC NARRATIVES IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM Shannon Renee Mortimore, Ph.D. Western Michigan University, 2009 Sequential narratives such as comics, graphic novels and Manga (Japanese- style comics) have long been popular in youth culture. Recent attention has shifted to the potential of utilizing these alternative texts in the secondary classroom, yet very little information for English teachers exists regarding how to engage students in close, careful, and culturally informed analysis of these works. While there is a long tradition of thoughtful analytical teaching about literary texts, when it comes to the study of various media with strong image content, language arts teachers often may not know how to proceed. Indeed, preconceptions about the legitimacy of comics and graphic novels as "real" literature, may be a barrier for many language arts teachers who are anxious about the inclusion of these alternative texts in their own classrooms. Recognizing both teacher apprehension regarding these texts, along with the needs of a highly visual and multimodal generation of learners, this dissertation will consider the theory and applications of multimodal learning and critical literacy in the English classroom as they relate to the teaching of three graphic novels: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, and Blankets by Craig Thompson. Written using a first-person, autoethnographic approach, this dissertation hopes to offer suggestions for expanding educator's ideas regarding the literary canon and to situate the use of graphic novels within the framework of respected and established Best Practice teaching principles. This dissertation will also draw upon teacher and student narratives regarding the graphic novel in order to consider the "story" of how these new literacies can become powerful allies in the quest to bring meaning, relevance, and critical awareness into the English classroom. Copyright by Shannon Renee Mortimore 2009 UMI Number: 3376937 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI UMI Microform 3376937 Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. —Albert Schweitzer / awoke this morning with devout thanks giving for my friends, the old and new. —Ralph Waldo Emerson It is with the sincerest gratitude that I thank all of those whose contributions and encouragement made this dissertation possible. First, thanks to Dr. Gwen Tarbox who fearlessly accepted the challenge of directing this dissertation—your gentle leadership, your encouragement, and your passion for graphic narratives and adolescent literature were a source of great inspiration to me. Furthermore, you taught me how to value my work as a scholar and how to cultivate and nurture the interests of my students—I could not have asked for a better mentor as I walked through the paces of this journey. For your guidance and your continual faith in me, I will be forever grateful. My appreciation extends to the members of my committee as well. Thank you, Dr. Karen Vocke, for your selflessness and your kind words—for your willingness to provide challenging feedback through multiple drafts of my dissertation and for your ability to make me laugh when things were especially difficult. Thank you for always being only a ii Acknowledgments—continued "google chat" away from an answer or an encouraging word or a laugh—for these small gestures, I am truly thankful. Thanks also to Dr. Jonathan Bush and Dr. Susan Piazza for taking an interest in my work and for sacrificing your time and your energy to offer me your invaluable insight. I appreciated our informal office and coffee chats, and I am deeply grateful for the resource of your educational expertise. Thank you to all of the members of my committee as well for advising me as I stepped into the professional job market. Your letters, advice, and recommendations allowed me to successfully land my first professorship. For this, I can never thank you enough. I am grateful as well to Dr. Allen Webb who encouraged me to begin this journey. Thank you, Dr. Webb, for recognizing my potential as a professor of English education and for providing the theoretical foundation that has guided my career as a teacher of English. Thanks also to Dr. Ellen Brinkley who taught me what it means to be a teacher of writing and inspired me to pursue a PhD in English Education through my participation in the Third Coast Writing Project. Additional thanks to graduate directors Dr. Jana Schulman and Dr. Jil Larson who guided me through my curriculum requirements at Western Michigan University. Thank you to all of the students who were willing to contribute to this project, with special thanks to Brian Glawson, Nashon Holloway, and Azwar Ismail whose thoughtful insights helped to direct the outcomes of this study. Thank you to my fellow graduate student friends and cohorts, Dan Baker and Todd Bannon, who dared to venture down this road with me. Though our paths have iii Acknowledgments—continued forked, I will always be grateful for the friendships forged during this tumultuous period in our lives. Thank you to Nathan Dannison who encouraged me and supported me when I began this journey and to Missy Taylor, Miranda Moore, Sarah Mell, and Hillary Baker for cheering me along the way. Thank you, most of all, to Jeremy Smith, who stood by me to the bittersweet end. For your love, your strength, your patience, and your understanding, I am truly grateful. Thanks to the wonderful folks at Coffee Works who provided the perfect study environment and an endless supply of coffee to get me through each writing day, and to Jon VanderMeer, director of the Media Studies Library in Brown Hall, for providing the most beautiful and serene place to write on campus. Finally, a special thanks to my mother and father, Chris and Caryn Mortimore, and to my sister Rachel Sykes and brothers Shawn and Jesse Mortimore. Thanks also to Dave Sykes and Kimberly and Criscelda Mortimore. You have each been an inspiration to me. Thank you for never doubting me, for always believing in me, and for the prayers, patience, and love that made everything possible. Thank you, all, for helping me to achieve this dream. Shannon Renee Mortimore IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii LIST OF FIGURES x INTRODUCTION 1 From Skeptic to Scholar: The Journey Begins 1 Research and Writing Methodology 6 Autoethnography: The Personal Journey as Teacher- Researcher 7 The Scholarly Personal Narrative 9 Participant Observation... 11 Chapter Outline 16 HSIRB Research Approval 21 CHAPTER I. A BRIEF HISTORY, DEFINITIONS, AND THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO READING AND UNDERSTANDING COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS 23 Introduction 23 A Rich and Controversial History 26 "A National Disgrace": A Bumpy Road on the Ride Toward Legitimacy 46 Underground and Alternative Comics: "New Comixs" for a New Era 56 The Problem of Definitions 60 v Table of Contents—continued CHAPTER Comics 63 Graphic Novels 65 The Conventions of Comics 69 Visual Literacy and Multimodal Understanding of Graphic Narratives 79 II. CRITICAL APPROACHES FOR TEACHING GRAPHIC NARRATIVES IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM 86 Introduction: A Teaching Philosophy 86 Confronting and Challenging Visual and Cultural Representations 93 Picture, Word, and the World: Cultural