Storytelling and Identity - Fall 2023

we are made of stories

Prep Note – 10/31/2023

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On October 30, 2023

In Javier, prep note

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.

Prep Note 10/31/23

By

On October 30, 2023

In prep note, Will L

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.

prep note 10/30

By

On October 30, 2023

In Chang

I find that telling a story in graphic format gives the reader a stronger visual impact. There is a great contrast between the author’s innocent words and the black and white monotone of the pictures. Graphic format simplified complex ideas and events, making them more accessible for readers.

Prep Note 10/31/2023

By

On October 30, 2023

In Julia, prep note

One thing I noticed about telling a story in a graphic format is that the pictures are able to say a lot more than just the text. When the author tells stories from their perspective and includes graphics to illustrate the story, it can change the meaning for the reader. This happened for me specifically when reading Persepolis because I was very unaware of the history which the author was referring to. However, looking at the images helped me visualize exactly what the author was trying to convey, and I didn’t have to use my imagination to understand what the author was trying to describe. Also, I think that telling a story in a graphic format makes it easier to follow along with and make harder topics more digestible for different readers. By doing this, the author is able to convey more metaphors and demonstrate exactly how they felt in the moment they are referring to.

(11/1/2023)

Looking back for a specific moment where this occurred for me was on page 27 in section 4, and the author illustrates her father taking pictures of the demonstration. I thought this most stuck out to me because the author used a collage type of format, and probably was inspired by the pictures her father took and added them into the graphics.

Prep Note 10/31/23

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On October 30, 2023

In kristine, prep note

One thing I noticed about telling a story as a graphic novel is that both the words and pictures matter. The pictures and words complement each other. In addition, there are two different ways the words are used: the text at the top of each box, and the dialogue of the characters. Thus, the dialogue also complements the pictures and text. For example, in the frame in which the narrator is in the bathtub and God is sitting there and asking what she’s doing, the dialogue adds to what the text didn’t. The text details how the narrator wanted to know what it was like to be in a cell full of water, so she stayed there for a while. The dialogue serves as a sort of internal monologue along with the text above. Another thing I noticed was that some frames only have dialogue or some only have narrative text. But I didn’t feel like any of the frames were lacking if they didn’t have dialogue or text. It just worked. Of course, the pictures might have contributed in making it feel more complete.

Prep Note – 10/31

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On October 30, 2023

In Nick G, prep note

One thing I noticed about telling a story in a graphic format is that the author has control of the visualization of the story. When just reading a text, different people are going to envision the story in different ways. However, by having those pictures the author can portray the story in whatever way they like. Additionally, this graphic format allows authors to convey a deeper meaning of the story through the style they use. Through different styles, the author can evoke different emotions in the reader which provides another aspect of conveying information besides the text and pictures themselves. In Persepolis, for example, the black and white pictures along with the style contribute to the seriousness of the story.

Prep Note 10/31

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On October 30, 2023

In Haven, prep note

One thing I noticed from reading Persepolis was Satrapi’s confusion, acceptance, confidence, and naivete during her very discordant childhood. It was so interesting to read about the conflicting narratives that society was telling Satrapi, and her reaction to each of them. She noticed the differences between her home narrative and her educational narrative, but for the most part, she believed the story that her parents told her, rather than forming her own opinion. She didn’t know the entire story – all the facts – and yet, she was confident in her thoughts. She went and protested in the streets, even though she didn’t know the extent of the danger of protesting. That was interesting to me, because it seemed like she was pretty worried about her father’s safety on a couple of occasions, but she also seemed to feel extremely confident in her own safety.

Prep Note – 10/26/2023

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On October 29, 2023

In Javier, prep note

The way the author tells her story is reminiscent of actual childhood. As she tells the story of her childhood, the rather “simple” yet “deep” illustrations convey a denser tone. The art style might make one think of children’s books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Captain Underpants, or other juvenile books. However, make no mistake, these books are by no means the same in any capacity except for the style of illustrations.

The actual content itself is much more mature and serious, albeit easier to comprehend with the author’s brief lines of content per panel. Extraordinary in terms of how with imagery and brief sentences she’s able to convey so much of her story. Part of it is that some of the panels aren’t so much of the “story” but more relevant to her “thoughts” allowing the reader to align more with the author. Examples of this include the scenes where she interacts with God.

One of the scenes that really stood out to me was the night where “God didn’t come” and she tries to convince her parents to let her go out to join the revolution. From her past exchanges of faith, conversing with God “every night” followed by a sudden break in the pattern stands out in different ways: Fear, Tension, an approaching Climax, and perhaps even the loss of innocence.

Prep Note 10/26

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On October 27, 2023

In Julia, prep note

One thing I noticed about how the author tells her story is how she uses her illustrations to convey the story from her early life, but also the history of her country and how it was taught to her. Something that caught my attention was how she told her story, and made the historical aspect very personal to her own life. This not only helped to provide context but also to share her own experiences dealing with these heavy topics, especially at such a young age. I liked how the author used metaphors and narrates as if she is still 10 years old because it helps make her experience more personable. I thought that the illustrations conveyed the authors experience in a way so that the reader could understand her experience in that political and social climate, and how she as a 10 year old still played a roll.

Response to Daily Class Notes 10/24/23

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On October 26, 2023

In Daily Class Notes, Kaylee

Angelo’s Daily Class Notes can be found here: https://blog.richmond.edu/storytelling2023/2023/10/24/daily-class-notes-10-24/

  • We started the class by sharing comments/concerns regarding this course in the Spring semester. It is going to be held on Fridays, and it will be worth half of a credit. There will also be opportunities for an alternative assignment/time for those who won’t be able to make the Friday afternoon classes work with their schedule.
  • Talking about our field trip was great since we did not get an opportunity to after it was over since many people had classes to go to and were rushing. We went over prep notes and were able to discuss the complex feelings and ideas that were brought up while visiting the burial site. Many people mentioned how they noticed signs and areas of the burial ground in disrepair. We talked about the history of slavery in Virginia and how measures are being taken in order to acknowledge the atrocities committed. Everyone in the class had different experiences while learning about the darker parts of our nation’s past.
  • Finally, we talked about our midterm and what is expected. There are two papers to write, and they should be about 2-3 pages long.

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