How Illustrations Alter the Act of Reading

            The act of reading is significantly altered in the way it is perceived when illustrations are added, as in the manner of a comic strip or graphic novel. When the elements of setting, character appearances, and imagery are shown instead of being left to the reader’s imagination, the pictures are all used strategically in portraying the scenes specifically to the way the author wants the audience to see them.

In this respect, the use of imagery in comics will often manipulate the audience’s perceptions of a subject. Images will show the protagonist with iconic features and the villain as a menacing opponent. As in the case of Tin Tin in the Land of the Soviets, this is illustrated clearly as Tin Tin, the small, innocent, yet heroic reporter and his trusty dog sidekick, Snowy, are relentlessly pursued by the Soviet authority. The characters of the Soviets are much larger than little Tin Tin and always have a stern expression on their faces. The images given to the audience show bias toward Tin Tin and manipulate the reader to form negative denotations for the Russian leadership.

The inclusion of Snowy, the talking dog sidekick, is somehow more believable in the form of a cartoon illustration. As a cartoon, Snowy can take on a more humanistic persona without any doubt from the reader. He provides a point of view that gives both comic relief during times of action, as well as a cute and likeable character that the audience with sympathize with. In written text, this guileful tool would not be as effective on the audience. Cartoons and illustrations alongside text provide an appropriate outlet for anthropomorphism that would otherwise have to be described in depth terms in writing, as opposed to merely placing a thought or speech bubble next to the animal or object so that it may participate in dialogue as a human character does.

Comics like Tin Tin give insight to how the author, as well as the author’s culture, perceives countries and world issues during their time period and often as propaganda in order to persuade the reader to adopt the same opinions on the topic. The inclusion of pictorial images gives a heightened sense of entertainment to the story, as well as broadens the scope of the audience. As a reader, I feel that I am more unquestionably accepting of the author’s purpose and opinion in the story because it is presented in a less “serious’ manner.

           

 

The Great Gatsby as a Great American Literary Work

            In beginning my thoughts on,  “What makes The Great Gatsby a literary work?” my first question to myself was “what exactly is a literary work?” After reading a few New York Times articles and literature blogs on the topic, I found the adaptation of a quote from Shakespeare’s Twelth Night by Terry Eagleton, that read; “Some texts are born literary, some achieve literariness, and some have literariness thrust upon them." Despite how seemingly unclever the quote was to me at first, it actually resonated much more than many of the other overly complex explanations of what does or does not differentiate between mere writing and a work of literature. The Great Gatsby is a direct reflection of the meaning of this quote in action.

            In context of Fitzgerald’s lifetime, The Great Gatsby would not have been considered a literary work for it was not a huge success as a novel. It gradually gained recognition but when the reoccurrence of the light-hearted, glamorous, and materialistic lifestyle of the 70’s occurred and mirrored similar societal issues and technological advances as those that were present in the roaring 20’s, the consideration of the relevance and literary aspects of Gatsby surfaced within American society. The classic American ideals that take precedence in the novel are among the elements that create a timeless piece of writing. So, The Great Gatsby was not necessarily “born” as a literary work because it had not reached a point at which it would neither be old enough nor filled with enough of a sense of nostalgia that makes it a top work of American literature today or be a prime example of a an author’s success in writing such an evocative piece.

            The idea that the novel is like a glimpse into an era that can never be retrieved again is something that gives the work a heightened quality of intrigue to an audience of nearly any age, in any subsequent time period. Each generation, each individual, and the circumstances under which the audience reads the novel can evoke new and different emotional and intellectual realizations based on any combination of these factors. As expressed by class discussion as well, the circumstances that the plot and character traits are discussed in can shift the point of view and the audience’s judgments; while one person may take sides with Nick and choose to judge the lifestyle of Gatsby through Nick’s eyes, another person may sympathize with Gatsby and see Nick to be no less at fault than the rest of the characters for their actions.

            A literary work is a work that can be reapplied and reanalyzed, and timelessly spoken about between many walks and ages of life within the American culture. The Great Gatsby has carved a place within American literature because of its ability to be an example of great conversational character development and a story that describes the discerning qualities of a long-past era. A literary work, no matter the culture in which it is presented, is something that accurately and eloquently relates and translates a different place and time to the audience.