Journal 3: Graphic Novel

In Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel, Maus the visuals interact with the text, and help to create a story line that illuminates the mood. Moreover, the author’s tone with the simple shading of characters, or background is more comprehensible through these techniques. Without the images the storyline would be much more difficult to follow along with, and the mood would be harder to interpret. The purpose of these images are meant to interact with the dialougue and present a reference to the reader to clarify some misconception about the author’s presentation to the story line. Spiegelman sets the tone through the text, by starting from a more present setting to reflecting back upon the events of the past. Moreover, through the visuals he sets up the tone with the shading of the characters, and background. The layers of meaning that is portrayed here through the text, and the visuals is of a terrible time, in which there was a lot of confusion and uncertainty. The shading gives the visual observer a sense of mystery, and uncertainty, whereas the narrative even makes the reader unsure when at the end of the comic it states, “To go, it was no good, but, not to go- it was also no good.” No specifying any lead as to where the plot of the storyline might end up.
The characters that are shaded are the ones that are either unsignificant in the current storyline, or are more part of the narrative then a main character. The introduction to the storyline was told by a character that is shaded, showing that he is more of part of the background to the main story. Spiegelman’s use of the comic strip form helps to make it easier to follow, and gives more visual refrences then a normal story with visuals does. The form of the graphic/ comic strip is also an enhancement to the author’s purpose to allowing the reader to fully comprehend what the author wants the reader to visualize as he tells the story. The people who are talking in the present are the ones who are shaded at the beginning of the story, and the one’s who are talking as the story unfolds are the characters who are not shaded.

Journal 2: "You and I defying Gravity..."

This is a picture of the broadway musical “Wicked”, based off of the book, Wicked. I read this novel when I was in high school, as a fun read. This musical and book, is a story based off of the movie and book, Wizard of Oz, trying to almost retell the story of this movie, but from the wicked witch’s point of view. The musical tells of a love story between the scarecrow, and the wicked witch. The constant quest for the shiny red shoes that Dorothy wears, and the reason that the witch is after them is explained in this novel and award-winning musical. The musical however, I think gives this story a better representation of the plot and main ideas. The story leaves more to the imagination for the reader, but it also leaves a more negative image upon the story line. The differences among the novel, and the musical are vast. The musical changes the influences the audience by forcing the reader to apply a specific person to the character, and overall presentation of a character. From the tone of the characters voice, to the song that accompanies the scene; the audience is forced to have insight pertaining to the characters attitude. However, it is more difficult to have a more complex, and overlapping plot in a musical then in a novel. The novel brings an interweaving storyline, where the characters are forced to come into contact more, allowing the reader to comprehend the deeper meaning of how each individual character acts towards one another, and their opinion of the other character helping the reader to form an opinion as well. Moreover, the novel can have a much longer plot, and tell of a story that is composed of a lot more action.
With all of the songs that have been recorded for the musical of Wicked it is impossible not to sing along. The songs that accompany this musical influence the audience to have a more positive outlook on the plot. The songs are almost Disney worthy, and appear to be cheerful sing alongs. The book however, presents the wicked witch as a innocent, lost, confused, outcast, constantly tortured for her unusal skin tone. The novel allows for such extensive plots such as the wicked witch giving birth to a son in the book, but the musical never even touches on the subject. The musical tries hide most of the intense details to appeal to a wider majority of audiences. This is an example of how the book seems to be more powerful then the visual presentation.