Self-Evaluation

The texts that had the most relevance to me as a reader were Understanding Comics and The Bluest Eye. The first of which pertained to me because I had never before taken the time to read a graphic novel before Understanding Comics, which was a great first endeavor into the world of graphic novels. It really helped me to put into perspective how interpreting comics is entirely different than interpreting written literature. The Bluest Eye was relevant to me because it opened my eyes to the fact that I have taken my race for granted my entire life. It also helped me realize that living a life of envy can be detrimental. I feel that I have been affected more as a person than I have as a student in this class because we have been exposed to such a variety of deep topics that sometimes seem taboo to discuss, such as white privilege and the scrutiny of evangelism.

While I have definitely bettered my ability to interpret graphic novels throughout the course of this class, I can't really admit that I've become fond of them. They are a completely different form of art than written novels and, as I have spent a lifetime in infatuation with written novels, it is difficult for me to view the two forms of novels in the same light. I have undoubtedly developed an appreciation for graphic novels, though, because I realize that the illustrations are just as jam-packed with symbolism and underlying messages as written novels are. Never before would I have carefully considered the deconstruction of the human image as a means of allowing readers to better identify with a character in a graphic novel. By creating a less-detailed image of a character, the reader is more prone to place themselves in that position, thus making the journey traveled throughout the graphic novel more personal for the reader.

I believe that I am a better critical observer of both graphic and literary texts now as opposed to before taking this class. I am now better able to pinpoint a narrow idea and follow it throughout the entirety of a text, whereas before I had a difficult time keeping one specific focus. Graphic novels are definitely the most challenging because it's a platform that I am still a bit unfamiliar with; sometimes it is difficult to switch gears between interpreting graphic novels and interpreting literary novels. The discovery process of engaging in graphic novels can be described as enlightening, and I think that those of us who were unfamiliar with graphic novels at the beginning of the semester were nicely eased into them with Understanding Comics and American Born Chinese. Initially, I looked upon graphic novels as having less literary merit than written novels, but I now realize that I was vastly mistaken. Each platform, though entirely different from each other, has the ability to showcase distinct literary merit. Blankets made use of a form of imagery that would be impossible to incorporate into written novels because it is imagery that is hard to visualize. Illustrations allow the platform of the graphic novel to develop much differently as the reader progresses through it, but, in the end, both the graphic and written novel show that literary elements play a vital role in the development of characters, setting, plot, and the reader's ability to relate and interpret the novel.

Gaiman

Gaiman's retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream is undeniably unique and endearing; however, I didn't enjoy reading it all that much. I thought it was a bit confusing at times. The pages were too cluttered with illustrations and at times it was hard to understand what was happening.

The idea of "audience" is brought to the attention of the reader in this interpretation. The audience is a reflection of the play itself, with members that include Titania, Oberon (Auberon), Peaseblossom, and Puck. These are not just characters in a play, though; they are a part of reality, and their attributes differ slightly from those of the characters in the play. The "real" embodiments of these characters look on and scrutinize the performance of the players, identifying the fact that there are many differences that exist between the "real" and "fake" versions of each character.

The "real" world that exists within Gaiman's interpretation is much different than the "real" world that exists within Shakespeare's version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this interpretation, the "real" world is that of the players, who have ventured far in order to perform their play. The "real" world also includes a slightly insane Shakespeare whose relationship with his son, Hamnet, is visibly tense. The "real" world in A Midsummer Night's Dream is that of Theseus, Hippolyta, the four lovers, and Bottom & co. before they enter the woods.

Shakespeare's personal life is visible within this interpretation because the reader is introduced to Shakespeare's son, Hamnet. Throughout the interpretation, Hamnet is distressed because he feels that his father pays little to no attention to him. Shakespeare is simply engulfed in his plays; he doesn't have any time to devote to his son. While I appreciate the fact that Shakespeare's personal life is intertwined, I can't help but to think that this one representation of Hamnet leaves a lot to be desired. He's very one-dimensional in this interpretation and, since this is the only acknowledgment of Hamnet that I have seen/read, I am left to believe that his entire life was spent seeking the attention of his father.

Page 69 of this interpretation illustrates the recognition of the players upon seeing that their audience is composed of fairies, goblins, and the like. There is little dialogue on this page, with the main focus being the expressions of the characters. The players experience feelings of surprise, fear, and shock, while the audience members look on with intrigue, interest, and impatience. Theseus becomes so awe-stricken that he must be prompted for his line in order for the play to go on. I feel as though this page is especially significant to the interpretation, as it shows how both the players and the audience react to each others initial presence.

Analyzing Shakespeare: Illustrations and Relations

Part II: Illustrations
A Midsummer Night's Dream as illustrated by Saddleback Educational Publishing

In this rendition of Shakespeare, Bottom awakens from his rendezvous with Titania. (51) He is disoriented and alone and he immediately dismisses the previous night's events as only a dream. This happens within the span of two panels, which show Bottom in his human form with a necklace of flowers. He is sitting in the forest alone. In the first panel, his gestures show that he is groggy from just waking up. In the second panel, his expression implies that he's had an epiphany--he's just recalled the curious events of the previous night. The text is "dumbed-down" and re-written in plain English.

It's clear that this adaptation is aimed towards a wide audience, since it is very easily understandable. However, a lot of the magic of Shakespeare is lost with this interpretation.


Part III: Relations
Helena/Demetrius

The relationship between Helena and Demetrius throughout the play is much like a roller coaster ride. At first, Demetrius sees Helena as a heavy burden, as she is following him to such an extent that it could be considered stalking. It seems as if Helena accepts the fact that Demetrius loathes her, but she still pursues him despite this. She makes many references to her relentlessness in pursuing her love.
"And as he errs, doting on Hermia's eyes,
So I, admiring of his qualities.
Things base and vile, holding no quantity,
Love can transpose to form and dignity."
(Act 1, Scene 1, Lines 230-233)
When Demetrius falls victim to Oberon's plan, he falls head-over-heels for Helena and, even though this is everything that Helena had dreamed of, she is unable to accept his love because she believes that he is making a mockery of her. She is shocked and appalled at his sudden change of devotion and refuses to accept that Demetrius' love for her is true. She demeans his manliness as a result of her confusion.
"You both are rivals, and love Hermia,
and now both rivals to mock Helena--
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
to conjure tears up in a poor maid's eyes
With your derision. None of noble sort
would so offend a virgin and extort
A poor soul's patience, all to make you sport."
(Act 3, Scene 2, Lines 156-161)