Final Paper Proposal

by markkopernacki ~ December 6th, 2010. Filed under: Uncategorized.

For my research paper, I plan on exploring the literary and visual techniques used by Art Spiegelman in his graphic novel Maus: A Survivors Tale. Spiegelman uses the format of graphic narrative as well as fable imagery to provide a complex view of the Holocaust from the point of view of his father, a Holocaust survivor now living in Queens, New York. The ‘comic’ also uses the relationship between Spiegelman as framework for his father’s actual story, creating a personal context for the main tale. My paper will focus on how this graphic novel approaches the task of depicting a war experience accurately and retain the integrity of the subject matter. In addition, I will be commenting on the work of Joe Sacco in Palestine to expand on the usage of this medium and how it has progressed since Maus I was published in 1986.

Working Bibliography

Spiegelman, Art, and Art Spiegelman. Maus I: a Survivor’s Tale : My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon, 1992. Print.
Sacco, Joe, Edward W. Said, Joe Sacco, and Joe Sacco. Palestine. Seattle, WA: Fantagraphic, 2001. Print.
McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics. [Northampton, MA]: Kitchen Sink, 1993. Print.
Chute, Hillary. “Comics as Literature? Reading Graphic Narrative,” PMLA, 2008.
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1 Response to Final Paper Proposal

  1. alison drew
    December 7th, 2010 at 10:52 am

    This is a good topic. I have some questions that may or may not help you in expanding.

    Is Spiegelman’s work the first graphic novel of its kind? Maybe explore the history of it, and how it has affected society in the time it was written. Talk about how it has maybe lead the way for other graphic novelists?

    Are you going to use other graphic novelists? Are there any others? Maybe find another comic artist or graphic novelist to support the 2 you already have.

    Try to explore these two artists, and their biographies or something. What made them decide to do this? What personal experiences influenced them to write about war?

    Thats really all I have. If I think of something else I’ll comment further.

    Good luck!