Wait....isn't that a comic book?: Looking at the graphic novel in the classroom

I’ll admit that was ecstatic when I learned that we would be reading The Persepolis for my Adolescent literature class. I had read this graphic novel in the past and had found it to be a moving story. I have to say that the main reason why I was excited to be reading The Persepolis though was because it was a graphic novel. I think that one of the new frontiers for literature that can be used in an English class room is the graphic novel, which has grown and branched out to explore numerous topics since its inception. When we looked at whether to use a graphic novel in the classroom, we must examine it using slightly different guidelines. For The Persepolis, it is important to keep in mind that it is a memoir that takes place during the 1980s in Iran. For my purposes, I think it’s important that we examine whether it presents historical events accurately, if the format aids in understanding, and whether students can relate to this novel.
This novel does a wonderful job presenting historical events accurately. It’s very clear to the reader throughout the whole novel that Marjane’s family is honest and open with her about the events that are taking place. They even take the time to educate her about the history of her people and about the different philosophies that they believe in including communism. There is a slight bias in the novel against the religion regime but that would be expected when one looks at the damage that this regime has inflicted on people for years.
One of the great things about this book is its format. There are so many students who do not like to read and will refuse to read a “book,” but they have no problem reading a comic book or manga. Graphic novels allow teachers to reach students who don’t like to read. In the case of The Persepolis, this graphic novel is set in a time and place that students may not be familiar with at all. Having pictures of the setting and the different items that are talked about allow for students to have a deeper understanding of the story.
I think that one of the great things about this novel is that Satrapi shows oppression of women and how they react. I think that there are quite a few students who could relate to feel oppressed. It doesn’t necessarily have to be female students either. We live in a world where in a normal classroom we might have students who have recently immigrated to the United States from all over the world. There is a chance that the students we are teaching may have lived in a country that was extremely oppressive. We also might have minority students who have felt oppressed throughout their lives at different times. This novel presents us with a chance to talk about oppression and show kids that people all over the world experience things that they’ve felt.
Overall The Persepolis is a wonderful book to incorporate into a classroom. It allows for kids to learn about a time in history, the experiences of women under an oppressive regime, and about a different culture. This is also a wonderful format to use in a classroom because students will forget that it’s a book. For readers who are struggling this format allows them to have even more tools to examine things based on context to better their understanding. It’s important for teachers to remember that graphic novels are becoming very popular and can be used with in a classroom. There are numerous graphic novels touching many different serious subject and even a lot for fun.
Below is a link to an extremely interesting blog post I read on graphic novels being taught: http://koreanish.com/2010/10/14/on-teaching-the-graphic-novel/

Exploring History Through Fiction

Recently I finished reading A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly which is a piece of historical fiction. In my other book reviews I’ve utilized the guidelines of whether the book is socially relevant, if it could be used in a multicultural classroom, and if it showcases literary technique. For this book, however, I’m going to use different guidelines. When I read this book I found myself wondering if this was a book that accurately represented the time period and whether it attempted to correct historical biases.
I found myself initially hesitant about whether I would enjoy this book or not because I don’t often venture into the realm of historical fiction. In fact, I think the last time I had read a historical fiction work was when I was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie series. Soon after I started the book, however, I found myself engrossed in learning about what had happened to poor Grace Brown and whether Mattie Gokey would follow her dreams. In this book the reader is often left unsure if Mattie’s dreams or the expectations of others will win out which creates an interesting dynamic.
The book takes place in the Adirondacks during 1906. Donnelly shows us the life of a sixteen year old girl, Mattie Gokey, who lives on a farm and has recently taken over the responsibilities of caring for everyone. Mattie’s mother passed away, and now on top of her farm chores she’s expected to take care of the cooking and cleaning. This is often difficult because Mattie is still attending school, which was rare during this period of time for women. Mattie excels at writing and has the chance to attend college. The only problem is that money is tight, and Mattie’s father expects her to stay in the area and settle down. When one of the farm animals dies Mattie takes a summer job at a hotel to help pay for a replacement. During this time Mattie is saving money for what she thinks will be her first home of her own. While working at the hotel a young woman, Grace Brown, dies in a boating accident and Mattie is left with letters and the real story behind Grace’s death.
One aspect of this book that I truly appreciated was the fact that it was so accurate to the time period. Donnelly presents the reader with how life on the farm was, the challenges that women faced, and the struggles African American’s faced during this time. Mattie’s best friend, Weaver, is a young African American male who longs to attend school so that he can become a lawyer. He faces racism throughout the whole novel.
Another aspect of this book that I thought was wonderful was the fact that it attempted to correct historical biases. What I mean by this is that if we looked at this same book but it had been written during 1906 we would mostly likely not see Weaver portrayed in a positive light. Donnelly, however, took the character of Weaver and his struggle and expressed what many African Americans probably felt at the time. One of the most moving passages about Weaver is found when Weaver is talking about how African American people are not really free, “Until his people can work anywhere whites work, and speak their minds freely, and write books and get them publish, until white men are punished for strining up black men, no black person will ever really be free” (Donnelly ,33). The reader is really able to see how much of a struggle it is for African Americans at this time who have been in recent years freed from slavery. Donnelly could have easily chose to ignore this issue and just have Weaver be Mattie’s friend, but instead, Weaver is presented as a real person with real feelings.
Ultimately this book would be a great way to explore history in a fun way that a lot of students could easily understand. I would use it within my classroom.

Works Cited
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. Orlando: Harcourt Inc, 2003.