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Campus | Bryn Mawr |
Semester | Spring 2018 |
Registration ID | EALCB255001 |
Course Title | Reading the Graphic Novel |
Credit | 1.00 |
Department | East Asian Languages and Cultures |
Instructor | Kwa,Shiamin |
Times and Days | TTh 09:55am-11:15am
|
Room Location | CH118 |
Additional Course Info | Class Number: 1926 The graphic narrative form has proliferated at a breathtaking rate in the last several decades. Called “comics,” “graphic novels,” and many other terms in between, these word-image hybrids have been embraced by both popular and critical audiences. But what is a graphic novel? How do we conceive of these texts and, more importantly, how do we read, interpret and write about them? This course is focused on approaches to reading the graphic novel, with a focus on a subgenre called the “literary comic.” Our first approach is to consider different kinds of primary source texts and ask if and how they fulfill our understanding of the graphic narrative. This consideration will include various test cases, from wordless comics, to texts used as images, to the many varieties of word-image hybrids that are called comic books. Our second approach is to examine different scholarly approaches to analyzing graphic narratives, base d in different disciplines such as memoir studies, trauma studies, visual and material culture, history, semiotics, and, especially, narratology. Primary source readings include texts by Ware, Barry, Clowes, and Burns. Secondary readings include Hirsch, McCloud, Barthes, Iser, and Groensteen.Three short assignments due during the semester, and a final project due at the end of exam period (see description below). Students will also rotate responsibilities for starting discussions with small presentations aimed at discussing readings in depth. Students taking this course for their major in EALC or COML should meet with the instructor to discuss specific requirements. Approach: Critical Interpretation (CI), Writing Attentive;, ; Haverford: Humanities (HU) Enrollment Limit: 15; 7 Spaces reserved for non 360. This course is part of the 360 cluster Expressing the Inexpressible: Trauma and Resilience through Comics, however students who do not wish to enroll in the 360 may also take this class. This 360 will explore critical dimensions of the global experience of trauma, with a focus on interdisciplinary understandings of suffering and survival. To this end, this course cluster pulls together theoretical perspectives on comics, narration, trauma, and recovery. Through exploring the topic of trauma and resilience within an interdisciplinary, experiential context, students will be better prepared to understand the topic. By the conclusion of the 360, they will be able to provide original analyses about how art enables individuals and communities to better understand and articulate the realities of suffering that otherwise often go unexpressed. If your interested in the 360 program, you must fill out the application which is due on November 8th at NOON by clicking on link. https://www.brynmawr.edu/360/spring-2018-application-comics-and-trauma. This 360 cluster includes enrolling in, EALC B255, FREN B217 & SOWK B563. |
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