The pedagogic potential of graphic novels

Abstract

The students’ competence in reading and interpreting images is often not as developed as we tend to think (Connors, 2012), and therefore, the students’ knowledge about iconotexts cannot be taken for granted. Still, within teacher education programmes, iconotexts are often only incorporated in courses on children’s literature and for teacher students that will teach in primary schools (Connors, 2012). Through a close-reading of Adrian Tomine’s The loneliness of the long-distance cartoonist (2020), I have therefore examined how a metacomic may be used to promote empathy and literary awareness in upper secondary school. In pursuing this research question, I have utilized the theoretical framework of cognitive criticism (Kukkonen, 2013; Nikolajeva, 2014) and metacomics (Cook, 2017; Kukkonen, 2013), in addition to competence aims regarding empathy and literary awareness in LK20. The analysis suggests that Tomine’s book, which is made in the format of metacomics combined with graphic diary, is an apt tool for emphasizing empathy, as “contemporary diaries make visible the intimate and the personal” (Cardell, 2014, p. 3). Graphic diaries are therefore a perfect format for conveying feelings, and a fruitful format to use with young adults in language classrooms, as this may promote chances of expressing feelings and empathy with others. Through various metafictive devices in Tomine’s work, the students may also be cognitively engaged in literary discussions, which can make them more aware of the construction and production of the format of graphic novels. In future research, graphic novels for secondary students should therefore receive more attention both in theoretical and empirical studies, and graphic novels for this age group could also be incorporated more frequently in course plans in schools and teacher education (Connors, 2012). Through a close-reading of Adrian Tomine’s The loneliness of the long-distance cartoonist (2020), I have therefore examined how a metacomic may be used to promote empathy and literary awareness in upper secondary school. In pursuing this research question, I have utilized the theoretical framework of cognitive criticism (Kukkonen, 2013; Nikolajeva, 2014) and metacomics (Cook, 2017; Kukkonen, 2013), in addition to competence aims regarding empathy and literary awareness in LK20. The analysis suggests that Tomine’s book, which is made in the format of metacomics combined with graphic diary, is an apt tool for emphasizing empathy, as “contemporary diaries make visible the intimate and the personal” (Cardell, 2014, p. 3). Graphic diaries are therefore a perfect format for conveying feelings, and a fruitful format to use with young adults in language classrooms, as this may promote chances of expressing feelings and empathy with others. Through various metafictive devices in Tomine’s work, the students may also be cognitively engaged in literary discussions, which can make them more aware of the construction and production of the format of graphic novels. In future research, graphic novels for secondary students should therefore receive more attention both in theoretical and empirical studies, and graphic novels for this age group could also be incorporated more frequently in course plans in schools and teacher education (Connors, 2012).