September 11, 2001 was incredibly devastating nationally, as well as internationally but one can only imagine the intensity of horror the local New Yorkers were confronted with, resulting in a long-lasting trauma for most. One of those individuals who has spent most of his life in NY and was very present when the planes struck the towers is Art Spiegelman. Like most Americans, the events that day left him traumatized leading him to attempt to deal with 9/11 by portraying his emotions in the autobiographic post-traumatic comic book titled In the Shadow of No Towers. In an interview with The Progressive shortly after the release he stated "This book is fragment of diary. In making the book, I'm trying to work my way out."
This research paper will deal with his attempt to cope with personal and national Trauma and if depicting it in a comic can be justified as an appropriate medium. The issues when portraying Trauma as a comic and Spiegelman’s technique will be discussed. It will also provide a structural analysis and show themes and specific events concerning his 9/11 experience. It will also give an insight and an analysis of the many segments in which the U.S. Government’s actions following 9/11 are heavily criticized. Lastly the undeniable similarities as well as the differences between In the Shadow of No Towers and his most famous work Maus will be examined.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Difficulties when depicting Trauma in a Comic
- Recurring Parts of his Trauma
- Criticism of the U.S. Government
- Comparison to Maus - A Survivor's Tale
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This research paper examines Art Spiegelman's graphic novel "In the Shadow of No Towers" as a means of coping with personal and national trauma following the 9/11 attacks. It explores the challenges of depicting trauma through comics, analyzes Spiegelman's techniques, and investigates the themes and specific events related to his 9/11 experience. The paper also examines the criticism of the U.S. government's actions following 9/11 and compares "In the Shadow of No Towers" to Spiegelman's earlier work, "Maus."
- The challenges of depicting trauma in comics
- Spiegelman's techniques for representing trauma
- Themes and events related to Spiegelman's 9/11 experience
- Criticism of the U.S. government's actions following 9/11
- Comparisons between "In the Shadow of No Towers" and "Maus"
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: The chapter introduces the context of the 9/11 attacks and their impact on New Yorkers, particularly Art Spiegelman. It outlines the paper's focus on analyzing Spiegelman's use of comics as a means of coping with trauma and his critical portrayal of the U.S. government's response to the attacks.
- Difficulties when depicting Trauma in a Comic: This chapter discusses the challenges of representing traumatic events like the Holocaust or 9/11 in various mediums, including comics. It explores the notion that such events are often considered "unrepresentable" and the moral considerations involved in depicting them. The chapter also examines the argument that trauma is inherently "soundless" and difficult to convey with words. Finally, it highlights Spiegelman's awareness of these challenges, drawing upon his previous work "Maus" and his own experiences of dealing with trauma.
- Recurring Parts of his Trauma: This chapter focuses on the structure of "In the Shadow of No Towers," which is divided into two parts symbolizing the Twin Towers. It analyzes the unique layout of panels and frames in the comic, emphasizing its non-linear reading style and how this reflects the "topsy-turvy, nonsensical post-9/11 world."
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The core keywords for this paper are trauma, comics, representation, 9/11, Art Spiegelman, "In the Shadow of No Towers," "Maus," U.S. government, criticism, national trauma, and historical events.
- Quote paper
- Henry Quevedo (Author), 2015, "In the Shadow of No Towers". Coping with National Trauma through a Comic, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/425380
