Graphic Literature

     Unfortunately, I do not have much experience reading graphic literature. However, after reading some of the stories in the textbook I can see myself enjoying graphic literature more than regular literature. Rather than trying to dissect a piece of writing to understand the imagery, I enjoy the idea of seeing the actual images. It helps me understand the emotions I should feel when reading the literature and also understand the setting of the story better. While being easier to read, I generally find it more enjoyable to see the actions along with the words. 

    "Barefoot Gen" by Keiji Nakazawa was a touching piece from the article because it shows a side of the Hiroshima bombing that is not often discussed. I have not ever considered how life in Japan was as the nuke was being dropped on them. Reading this piece of graphic literature made me emotional especially focusing on the happy little boy and his brother. It was not easy reading it knowing what was ultimately going to happen to the little boy and his family. Also, being able to see the little boy smile and seeing his excitement with his new battleship hits my emotions more than reading words describing the emotions. Overall, I was able to feel more reading this because I could feel anger when I saw the fighter jets and feel sad when I see the happy little boy knowing his fate.

    "The Fellowship" by Alison Bechdel did not resonate enough with me because it was so short. I feel like a lot of emotions and descriptions were missing from how short this story was. I can see the main message of the story and how the narrator feels that she is a homosexual woman and there are brief descriptions on the reactions from her mother and others. However, I wish there were more dialogue between the narrator and her mother so I can understand whether her mother truly approves or disapproves. Overall, I can see that this is a good piece of graphic literature and I can understand the story clearly, but I personally believe it would resonate with me more if there were more descriptive information.

    These authors most likely chose this format to tell their stories because there are some things that are easier to understand in graphic literature. For example, setting is easier to understand because rather than relying on description of the setting, the reader can literally see the setting and not have any misinterpreted ideas. Some writers may also enjoy the challenge of drawing their words rather than putting their words on paper. Instead of it being easier, some writers may see it as a challenge and be up for that challenge.