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The importance of American literature
American literature and culture
The importance of American literature
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A nation’s legacy is created by the people, for the people. The legacy fashioned by a nation is known as its cultural heritage which is defined by the withstanding creations of a society (“Cultural Heritage” Web). A civilization’s cultural heritage allows future generations to learn of the past and the present generation to express what is current. Written documents and literature are important aspects of a nation’s cultural heritage because of the various perspectives and opinions expressed (Kirk Web). The American society has a long history expressed by thousands of tangible artifacts and intangible stories, but some creations receive more respect as a part of our heritage than others. Literature, for example, allows us to gain a better understanding of the country, people, and feelings of the times. The classics are revered for its formal presentation and its withstanding presence, while other written pieces are cast aside.
Comic books may not be considered in the same realm as the great novels of F.Scott Fitzgerald and George Orwell; some don’t even consider comics literary works but there is a viable argument to justify their presence as culturally important pieces of literature. Similar to the great novels of our time, comics express the difficulties of human nature and are timeless works (Kalstein Web). The content of these short stories can be used as primary sources of popular culture as they are filled with historical references and have been influential in guiding the thoughts of the nation through their patriotic content over time, leaving an impactful mark in history.
Marvel Comics, an American publisher, is recognized for its release of many popular heroes. The writers of this publishing firm are known to be highly...
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...t Superhero: Metaphors, Narratives, and Geopolitics. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 2012. Project MUSE. Web. 13 December 2013.
Dittmer, Jason and Soren Larsen. “Aboriginality and the Artic North in Canadian Nationalist Superhero Comics, 1940-2004”. Historical Geography Volume 38 (2010): pages 52-69. Web. 13 December 2013.
Kirk, Ashley. "The Importance of Historicism and Context in Literature." Web blog post. Words on a Page. N.p. 2 Nov. 2012. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Kalstein, Nicole. "Comic Books: A New Kind of Literature." Examiner. N.p. 25 May 2011. Web. 11 Feb. 2014.
Scott, Cord. “Comics and Conflict: War and Patriotically Themed Comics in American Cultural History from World War II through the Iraq War.” Dissertations. Loyola University, Chicago. 2011. Web. 3 December 2013.
"What Is Cultural Heritage." Culture in Development. N.p. n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.
Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, documents the author's discovery of her own and her father's homosexuality. The book touches upon many themes, including, but not limited to, the following: sexual orientation, family relationships, and suicide. Unlike most autobiographical works, Bechdel uses the comics graphic medium to tell her story. By close-reading or carefully analyzing pages fourteen through seventeen in Fun Home one can get a better understanding of how a Bechdel employs words and graphic devices to render specific events. One can also see how the specific content of the pages thematically connects to the book as a whole. As we will see, this portion of the book echoes the strained relationship between Bruce Bechdel and his family and his attempts to disguise his homosexuality by creating the image of an ideal family, themes which are prevalent throughout the rest of the nook.
Murphy, B. & Shirley J. The Literary Encyclopedia. [nl], August 31, 2004. Available at: http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2326. Access on: 22 Aug 2010.
To conclude, the graphic novel Watchmen presents the non-fantastic representation of a superhero, implying that not all heroes are like Superman. This notion is explored within the novel by mentioning the realistic motives of the characters choosing to become superheroes, by Rorschach’s representation and through the heroic reactions of the New Yorkers to a street crime. These elements all contribute to Watchmen’s uniqueness and complexity as a superhero comic.
Allen Moore’s sordid depiction of twentieth century life presents a complex world, where the distinction between a virtuous hero and a villainous wrongdoer is often blurred. In stark contrast to the traditionally popularized portrayal of superheroes, whose unquestionably altruistic motives ultimately produce unrealistically idealized results; the realistically flawed characters of Watchmen exist in a multi-faceted world characterized by moral ambiguity. America’s imperialistic ambitions have long been justified as an expression of American idealism. Much like the portrayal of superheroes in popular culture, America’s intervention in foreign affairs was portrayed as the result of a clearly defined problem, where American intervention was necessary and consensual. The Watchmen exist in an American reality that does not depend on them as the archetypal hero as demonstrated by the fact that their presence is not necessary to the survival of the world.
1) McCloud, Scott. "Chapter Two: The Vocabulary of Comics." Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. Print.
Did you know that comics have been around for more than one thousand years? There are examples of narratives told using pictures in Rome. Today comics are looked at to be childish. People prefer to read books with only words than books with pictures. Scott McCloud is an American cartoonist and comic theorist. One of his comics is called Understanding Comics. It explores different aspects of comics, the history of comics, its vocabulary, and the different ways comics can be used. Scott McCloud believes that comics are a great way to tell a story. Using both words and pictures and a better way to tell as story rather than just using words by themselves. He shows this by giving the reader examples of different ways to use them
Lawrence, John Shelton. "The Stan Lee Universe." Journal Of American Culture 36.1 (2013): 64-65. Academic Search Elite. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
McCloud, Scott. “Time Frames”, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 1993.
Comic book art is the Pez dispenser of modernism. The aesthetics of this accessible medium walk side by side with pop culture. No other art form can reach so many people due to its incredible volume. Each Wednesday of every week brings new issues of titles that have been in circulation for decades. Despite the vast numbers that arrive at retailers each month and the respect they sometimes receive (like Art Speigelman's Pulitzer Prize winning Maus), comics are under appreciated in the literary world, but why? They use a clever organization of symbols to express concepts shared by all people in their own social environment, and provide more tools than conventional art to truly show artistic intention.
When you think of comic books, what do you think of? If you were to ask your parents they would probably tell you Superman or Spiderman, maybe even Batman or Wonder Woman. Some might mention something more, something that appears to be a comic book, but once opened is revealed to be a work of literary genius; a comic such as Watchmen, or perhaps even V for Vendetta. An author and artist of renowned recognition and admiration wrote both masterpieces.
As observed above, The New York Times has distinctly stated that a relationship between literary text and social culture/context from the past 150 years has ceased to exist. Through arguing this ridiculous notion, the author is lead to be proved not only incorrect, but ignorant of the existence to an abundance of published texts that exhibit an indisputable connection to social context. Literature is part of our cultural heritage that, through a number of forms, enrich numerous lives in multiple ways. Literature leads us as an audience intellectually and emotionally by deepening our understanding of history, society, and our individual lives. History plays a fundamental part in influencing literature: every novel, play, or poem one reads is
Weixlmann, Joe. "Dealing with the Demands of an Expanding Literary Canon." College English 50 (1988) 273-283
Power, Natsu Onoda. 2009. God of Comics: Osamu Tezuka and the Creation of Post-World War II Manga. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi.
Comic books and graphic novels are often thought of as fodder for children or stories for people who cannot read well. Even though graphic novels may seem like a children's book with colored pictures, there is a lot of information to process while reading a graphic novel. Studies show that there is untapped educational potential in these “comics” and that such materials help build complex reading skills and the ability to understand multiple forms of communication. Graphic novels are also considered to be a media literacy text unlike a regular novel that is simply literature. Despite the popular belief that comic books are merely entertainment for children, and while most modern english class curriculums have kept the traditional reading syllabus custom, a large number of schools have begun integrating graphic novels into their english curriculums. Graphic novels tend to be widely popular with adolescent audiences. This assists in the education process by making the prospective work appear less like boring schoolwork and more like entertainment. It logically follows that students who are entertained by their schoolwork will be more likely to complete a simple homework assignment instead of blowing off the usual assigned reading. Why not teach students by employing materials they enjoy if in fact they can learn more? One graphic novel that comes to mind (and which contains all of these qualities in addition to being the most praised graphic novel of all time) is “Watchmen”. Watchmen is the standard for graphic novels. Watchmen contains a theme within the storyline, has interesting characters with admirable traits, and the artwork is unparalleled. For these reasons, among many others, Watchmen should be taught in every highscho...
Most people believe that graphic novels are just an art book with minimal text. They believe it is just for entertainment for kids or young adults. They think that graphic novels are just like comics. But to get to the point, graphic novels are just like all the other novels. They are a piece of literature that tells a story and pulls out the reader’s imagination, so that they feel that they are a part of the story or can even relate to the story. Graphic novels have changed and developed into such remarkable pieces of literature and should be accepted by all scholars to be placed in that category. According to John Ridley, “There are still some people out there who believe comic books are nothing more than, well, comic books. But the true cognoscenti know graphic novels are-at their best-an amazing blend of art, literature and the theater of the mind”.