The following paper will deal with the relationship between text and illustrations in Sherman Alexie’s novel “The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian.”
Sherman Alexie is a Native American, which he prefers to call Indians, and grew up on the Spokane Reservation, which is also the setting in the novel. His novel partially tells his own story which means it is semi-autobiographical. One of the main topics of his novels, and also very present in this novel, is alcoholism, probably because his father had an alcohol problem as well. It is important to mention that Alexie’s novel is not a comic in the first place, because it mainly shows single illustrations which contribute to the text’s meaning. It is therefore a graphic novel meaning that it is a narrative with occasional pictures with a dominance of verbal elements.
However, there are still five actual comics in the book. Not only writing novels but also poems and short stories his novels present the “nobly suffering Indian“ (Campbell) but also the “hard reality of urban life“ (Campbell) by also telling the hard naked truth about being Indian.
Comics have been out there for several decades, but they have not always enjoyed a broad audience. The genre of comics is often readily dismissed as being for children, young male adolescents and even for sub-literates. This marginalized genre is more than that; it offers topics and themes for everyone, varying from fiction to politics, fantasy, erotica, essays, autobiography and many more. As Douglas Wolk puts it: “comics have grown up“. As comics went through a long development of experiencing setbacks and success at the same time, today we have shops exclusively for cartoons, comics or illustrations.
As modern literature and culture changed into being more visual and less written the genre of comics and illustrations has become more attractive and popular. Moreover since the Marvel and DC comics and especially their remakes as movies such as Spiderman, Thor, Ironman, Captain America, Avengers, Watchmen, Sin City and many more the genre became more accessible for people who have not had a huge interest in comics beforehand. Although comics are drawn and represent a picture “we read comics. [...] holding them in our hands, turning their pages“ (Wolk). When in the 1970s the main topics were “simplistic superhero fantasies or violence“ (Bongco) the genre today is also dealing with serious topics.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Illustrations
2.1. The Perception of Illustrations
3. Sherman Alexie’s Illustrations
3.1. Representation of Junior
3.2. Reprensentation of Eugene
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Focus
This paper examines the interplay between verbal and visual elements in Sherman Alexie’s semi-autobiographical novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. By analyzing two specific illustrations representing the protagonist, Junior, and his father's friend, Eugene, the research explores how these drawings function as narrative tools to convey sarcasm, self-irony, and emotional depth, ultimately arguing that the visual elements are essential to the reader's interpretation of the text.
- The theoretical exploration of the relationship between text and visual art in graphic narratives.
- An analysis of the role of cartoon-style illustrations in establishing tone and character subjectivity.
- An investigation into realistic portrayals and their function in creating visual discrepancies that invite critical reader interpretation.
- The examination of how illustrations serve as a bridge to understand serious themes such as alcoholism and indigenous identity.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Representation of Junior
In the first illustration the protagonist shows the reader a picture of Junior himself commenting it with “me in all my glory“ (Alexie 5). When plainly looking at the picture we see a boy with a slighty too big head, squinting eyes, large arms and also we see a speech bubble telling us that the boy in the picture has a lisp. As the previous chapter showed, although the author shows us an cartoon of himself and we know it is not actually what Junior probably looks like, the reader also believes in the depiction.
Why does Junior or rather the author draw himself in such a bad, sarcastic and self-ironic way? When looking at the first chapter, in which this picture also appears, the reader can clearly depict already an ironic tone in the writing style. Junior informs the reader that his “brain was drowning in grease“ (Alexie 2) when he was a child and therefore had to undergo a surgery. When clearly what he means is “water in the brain“ (ibid.) he names it “grease“ and yet also admits that this sounds “weirdo and funny“ (ibid.). However, he says it is a serious operation but still he is not sure of the funnyness of the whole story and thinks that “maybe the whole thing is weird and funny“ (ibid.). It is something which would not be considered funny generally, but which he uses to make fun of because for him it is absurd to have too much of something which is normally healthy.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides the context for comics as a genre and introduces the novel as a graphic novel that employs both text and images to tell a semi-autobiographical story.
2. Illustrations: This section reviews critical definitions of comics and graphic novels, establishing the theoretical framework regarding how images and text interact to create meaning.
2.1. The Perception of Illustrations: This chapter discusses the distinct cognitive process of "reading" images versus text, emphasizing the importance of visual context in narrative fiction.
3. Sherman Alexie’s Illustrations: This chapter focuses on the specific use of cartoon and realistic drawing styles in the novel and introduces the two case studies chosen for analysis.
3.1. Representation of Junior: This analysis explores how the cartoon-style drawing of the protagonist functions as a self-ironic and sarcastic tool to establish the mood of the narrative.
3.2. Reprensentation of Eugene: This analysis examines how the realistic depiction of Eugene creates a discrepancy with the text, reflecting the protagonist's desire to view his world through a different, often idealized lens.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the arguments, reinforcing that the illustrations are vital for the reader's engagement and deep understanding of the book's serious thematic content.
5. Bibliography: This section lists the primary and secondary sources used to support the research.
Keywords
Sherman Alexie, Graphic Novel, Illustration, Text-Image Relationship, Native American Literature, Cartooning, Semiotics, Visual Narrative, Intermediality, Junior, Spokane Reservation, Alcoholism, Literary Analysis, Autographical Fiction, Representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this term paper?
The paper focuses on the functional relationship between verbal text and visual illustrations in Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
The central themes include the interplay of visual and textual media, the use of irony and sarcasm in autobiography, and how graphic elements help address serious social issues like alcoholism and racial prejudice.
What is the primary research question?
The research asks how the inclusion of illustrations changes the reader's perception of the novel and whether the narrative could have been fully understood without these visual components.
Which methodology is employed in the analysis?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon visual theory and media studies, specifically examining two key illustrations from the text to demonstrate their narrative impact.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical definition of comics and illustrations, the psychological perception of visuals in literature, and a specific case-study analysis of character depictions.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include graphic novel, semi-autobiography, intermediality, visual representation, and Sherman Alexie.
How does the author interpret the cartoon of "Junior"?
The author interprets the cartoon as a tool for self-irony, suggesting that Junior uses it to cope with his physical disabilities and to set a sarcastic tone for his narrative.
Why is the depiction of Eugene considered a "realistic" contrast?
Unlike the cartoonish self-portraits, the realistic depiction of Eugene highlights the discrepancy between the protagonist's idealized view of his uncle and the reality of their struggles with alcohol on the reservation.
- Quote paper
- Katja Grasberger (Author), 2014, The relationship between text and illustration in Sherman Alexie’s novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/322897
