The article "Graphic novels have more kids reading, but questions arise" by Rachael Scarborough King, examines the rising popularity of the graphic novel, as well as social stigma associated with this visual form of literature.
The graphic novel has become popular among adolescents and young adults in recent years as it merges the familiarity of comic books with more sophisticated and mature subject content. Although these novels have piqued the interest of young readers who are often intimidated by full length books, public scrutiny of visual literature continues to be primarily negative. Similar to film, graphic novels sometimes depict visual images of sexuality and violence. Although the majority of texts taught in high school settings include mature content, the general public often views the vivid sequences in film and sketch renditions in graphic novels as more threatening than written words.
While some graphic novels are aimed primarily at educating students in the academic setting, such as "Maus" which chronicles the Holocaust, there has been no initiative to make graphic novels a regularly used form of literature in the classroom. Although the National Standards and New York State Standards are both met in a variety of ways when using graphic novels for instructional use, as is seen in the article when the teacher was forced to resign because of a graphic novel's content, many teachers may be hesitant to implement a form of literature with such powerful capabilities into their classes.
Despite some public misgivings, I feel the graphic novel is a unique and intriguing academic tool with potential usefulness as a reading aid and primary literary source for students. Some specific uses could include students who are lacking motivation, are limited in their ability to read, are disabled, or are stimulated by visual interpretation. By reading graphic novels, students will not only be provided with an extra step to link themselves to standard literature, they will also have a complementary transition which connects film to literature. With the ability to link the concept of literature to a variety of different forms, students will be better able to comprehend and analyze the significant impact literature has had on their lives.
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After reading Rachael Scarborough King's article about graphic novels, I had many of the same feelings as Heidi did. I, too, view the graphic novel genre as a positive and creative addition to library shelves. I think it has the potential to captivate non-readers as both the article itself and Heidi mentioned. How wonderful that events like the Holocaust are made accessible to a normally hesitant audience through this particular genre. After all, as educators (and simply human beings) we must consider the alternative. Those who are hesitant to read materials other than graphic novels might not otherwise learn about events like the Holocaust without this genre to entice them.
Yes, sometimes graphic novels force us to face a dilemma as far as content goes. However, many traditional books are often deemed "inappropriate," too. Therefore, I think whatever a school's policy is in dealing with appropriateness of traditional books should be in effect for graphic novels as well. Personally, I am not a strong advocate for censorship, but I recognize that individual schools have their own unique policies. I feel as though sooner or later the inclusion of the graphic novel genre in libraries won't be such a "hot" issue, just as books like Catcher in Rye are no longer as contraversial as they once were.
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