Something that I began to notice a bit more about the artwork in this comic book is the meaning it reflects in addition to the dialogue. Many of us would think that detailed artwork and drawing would be required to tell a story but just simple drawings could add lots of more meaning to a story. Persepolis does a very good job with usage of drawings, especially in showing emotions through facial expressions. During a time of revolution and war, emotion is a very prominent aspect in the authors life as well as those she interacts with. Frustration, sadness, fear, and anger are just a few of these emotions displayed through the characters facial expressions.
Category: prep note Page 6 of 24
Chapters 4-10 of Persepolis were even more interesting to read than the first three. Once again, I was captivated by the narration. The author’s portrayal of childhood thoughts and emotions is basically flawless. It makes the story of the young girl growing up in this tumultuous time really hard hitting. I also love the growth that we can see the narrator undergoing over the course of the story. It’s clear that she is learning more about her country and beginning to form her own morals. It’s a beautiful journey that I feel privileged to be privy to. The matter of fact narration, a staple of any conversation with a child, also continues to make Persepolis a truly heartbreaking read.
As I continued reading chapters 4-10 of Persepolis, I noticed that as the conflict got more intense, the narrator also got older, which influenced how mature the tone was throughout this section. For example, themes such as torture were described pretty graphically to a girl who most certainly shouldn’t be exposed to such a thing. I also noticed that the narrator started to become more comfortable in forming her own beliefs about the situation. Her parents even allowed her to join a demonstration even though she hadn’t aged that much since they last refused her, which also could be due to the conflict escalating. What struck me the most though was the relationship between the narrator and her uncle. The concept of family was really emphasized in this section, and I liked how much she looked up to her uncle for being a hero, but I was really saddened when I found out about his fate. Even though the conflict is becoming more heavy, the graphic novel format doesn’t make it seem as dark as the situation really is.
Regarding our visit to the Book Arts Studio, I enjoyed getting to make my own story book myself. I prefer to have a hands-on approach to learning, so I appreciated that we got to actually make our own book out of paper. I am not the best artist in the world, so if we are making one for our storytelling project, then I would probably like to use images or magazine cut outs. I do enjoy writing in cursive or different fonts though and I have been told that my handwriting is pretty neat, so I would definitely still use my handwriting. I do have some ideas of what story of mine I’ll tell. I want to tell a very personal story that has had a big impact on my life because it means so much to me.
Chapters 4-10 of Persepolis were a lot more intense than the previous chapters. The narrator is trying to navigate living through revolution, and she is seeing/hearing about a lot of violence. She has family and family friends that are arrested, tortured, and killed. The political state is getting worse and worse and there is a not a lot that she can do. This sense of helplessness made her question her god, and it made her angry. She wanted to fight back against the violent political climate but there was not a lot that she could do as a young girl. This is story has made me emotional at times, just because the things she decribes are things that I have never imagined. I think we take a lot of our comforts for granted, and I am grateful that I have not had to experience some of the things that the author had to experience.
Kristine did a great job identifying a frame of the graphic novel to use as an illustration of a concept she identified. You can read her post here
I asked several of you to identify a frame to illustrate a concept you were noticing, and I thought Kristine’s example might help you see what I mean for us to do. I look forward to looking at Persepolis tomorrow with you.
Chapters 4-10 of Persepolis offered a lot more history into the conflict in the Middle East in the late 70s and early 80s. I learned a lot about that history from this book, which is just another reason as to why it’s easier to understand stories told in a graphic format because it helps digest a lot of complex thinking. I thought that these chapters were interesting because she tells it from the point of view of her older self and she is able to remember more, as well as discuss the heavy topics that came from her past. After attempting to make my own comic type story, I understand how difficult it is to pinpoint frames which you want to draw, and I can only imagine how hard it was for this author to illustrate her story. I’m not sure yet what story I’ll use for personal story, but I have a better understanding that it will be harder to illustrate my ideas exactly how I see them, and make them easy to visualize for readers. I also want to write about a more fun memory/story because I think that will be more interesting to draw and give me more options for the format of my story.
Something I noticed about telling a story in a graphic format is the way it makes it easier to see exactly what the author wants you to see. For example, in the last box on the third page, the author describes how her mother wore glasses for a long time because she was trying to hide her identity. The illustrations of men’s faces looking at her in a menacing way add a lot by showing what the mother was going through and why she was so scared to begin with. There is still room for imagination, but when there are illustrations to go along with the story it adds to the experience of reading. There is a stronger connection between the story and what the story is trying to convey or explain. Graphic format is easier for me to read, and I think that graphics are a positive addition to a story.
Reading “Persepolis,” it’s clear how much the pictures add to the story. The drawings don’t just show what’s happening, they help explain the emotions and the bigger picture of what was going on in Iran. For example, when talking about the veil, the illustrations show the mixed feelings of the girls. The words tell the story, but the images give it depth, helping readers connect with the author’s experiences in a more meaningful way. The combination of text and art makes the book’s messages clearer and more impactful.
The black-and-white images and the tragic story behind them make the whole work full of tragic colors, and the visual impact of the images makes the suffering of the Iranian people in the Iran-Iraq war visually displayed in front of us.
One of the things I noticed about storytelling in a graphic format, reminiscent of my last post, is how it offers a unique opportunity to demonstrate and illustrate the internal thoughts of characters. With an added level of simplicity. Rather than what might take paragraphs of words to explain, can be rendered down to artistic illustrations.
Metaphors can be illustrated in a very real sense. It also gives a level of guidance to the reader’s thoughts and imagination, providing a reference to a certain extent. It’s easier to convey certain concepts or thoughts that are not part of the story – such as the various illustrations of revolutionaries like Che Guevara or the scenes with God. Imagery to go along with the specific wordcraft of the author, whether it be the dialogue in the word bubbles or the narration associated with the images, creates a powerful phenomenon.
I notice that when telling a story in a graphic format, color plays a big role basically equal to the words. While having pictures to go along with the story it takes away from the imaginative aspect of the story. You don’t really have to think about what something would look like in the context of the story because it has been given to you.