Ivan Sepulveda

Written Composition 1
Professor Lotspeich
November 10, 2014
Graphic Rhetoric:
The Pros and Cons of using Graphic Novels in Classrooms
This text is a scholarship entry to Comic-Con Internationals Scholarly
Superheroes Scholarship contest. In this argumentative essay, I will evaluate the
benefits and drawbacks of using graphic novels in composition classrooms as a

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:08 AM

Comment [1]: Justin Lotspeich: Up front,
the essay obviously contains major
formatting issues, lacks a great deal of
content (1,300 words with very long block
quotes), and has an incomplete dear reader
letter. What do these problematic elements
do to your ethos and ability to persuade?

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:11 AM

Comment [2]: Self Review: Noticed
Double Space

learning tool to help students explore rhetoric and ways they can address social
injustices. First, I will explore the benefits of using graphic novels in classrooms
as a learning aid for students; the benefits include giving students a better idea
what media sensationalism is along with its effects, aiding students who struggle
with picturing novels in their mind, and allowing those who have not personally
seen social injustices to grasp a visual of it. After which I will dive deeper into the
concept of social injustice within graphic novels. My Third point will consist of
stating the drawbacks of using these graphic novels in composition classrooms.
My forth point will remind my audience that graphic novels are still valuable in
these classroom environments. After which, I will conclude my paper with a
summary of all my points with my assertion on whether or not graphic novels
should be used in composition classrooms.
Graphic novels have benefits that can help students develop in their
academic career. One benefit that students get from reading graphic novels

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:14 AM

Comment [3]: Justin Lotspeich: Do you
address the so what? Why does your
essay matter?

instead of regular texts help in visualizing the storyline. Some students have a
hard time picturing the storyline in their head. So as they progress through a
novel, they might not imagine the storyline well; and because of this deficit,
students might not comprehend a reading as well. Thanks to graphic novels,
students can bridge that gap. Graphic novels provide the visuals for specific
moments of time in the story. Readers just have to put the pieces together. This is
a good stepping store for struggling readers to improve their reading level and
comprehension. These novels also serve a form of leisure, a break from
challenging literature. In the Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Paula
Griffiths article Graphic Novels In The Secondary Classroom And School
Libraries, Griffith provides specific examples of how some graphic novels
connect standard composition curriculums. These examples include Cecil

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:14 AM

Comment [4]: Justin Lotspeich: Would a
graphic example with analysis in a TEA
paragraph help prove your assertions?

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:14 AM

Comment [5]: Justin Lotspeich: Does the
topic change here?
Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:14 AM
Comment [6]: Self Review: Noticed
another Double Space.

Castelluccis The Plaine Janes, Gipis Garage Band, and Andrew Helfers
Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography. Griffith states that these graphic novels and
more help students understand theme culture, cause & effect, characterization,

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:15 AM

Comment [7]: Justin Lotspeich: citation?

symbolism, and many more language arts components. These components are
essential to the development of readers at all stages. Graphic novels allow readers
to understand these elements to the fullest. In her text Literacy Strategies for
Grades 412: Reinforcing the Threads of Reading, Karen Tankersley states that
students should consistently read a variety of texts:
We must help students see that reading is the bridge to the ideas in the
text. As teachers, we must also understand that textbooks are resources to
be read selectively, not cover to cover. If we want students to care about

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:16 AM

Comment [8]: We don't clearly see how
GN help students. You say they do, but we
see no examples or analysis to support
such an assertion.

the knowledge we offer, we must show our students how it connects to

their world. The sooner we use the textbook as one of many sources,
rather than as a sole source, the sooner our students will learn the content
we want them to learn. (Chapter One)
In summary, Tankerley asserts that although textbooks are essential in the
learning process, instructors need to use other resources to help students in the

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:16 AM

Comment [9]: Justin Lotspeich: Do you
require this block quote, or was your
summary about Tankersley's main point
enough?

areas they are lacking.

Specifically, in Frank Millers Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, this
graphic novel allows readers to achieve a better understanding of social injustices.
Throughout the storyline, the audience can realize two things through the visuals

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:17 AM

Comment [10]: Justin Lotspeich.The TS
transition could be stronger.

provided by Miller. The main social injustice visited in the novel is the idea that
media sensationalism causes a great effect on the public, sometimes an
overreaction. When Batman returns to Gotham Citys spotlight, the media goes
nuts; the local news channel hosts debates, speculations, and dedicates so much
time to covering The Batman, when in reality, The Batman is just an old man who
does not want to give up his life of crime fighting because he is traumatized by
the violent death of his parents. On example of this is the scene where Dr. Volper
over speculates on why Batman fights crime. First of all, Dr. Volper is not
qualified to speak on Batmans state of mind because he does not know him
personally, he does not know his history and trauma. Volper states that Batman
has psycho-erotic behavior even affects other people. He goes as far as to say that
Batmans nonexistent condition is the reason why other criminals such as Harvey
Dent went crazy. The local news channel hosts this talk because they know that

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:18 AM

Comment [11]: Justin Lotspeich: Do
these example/paraphrases/summaries
require a citation?

any coverage about The Batman will get them ratings. This is a prime example of
media sensationalism; here, the media makes The Batman more than what he is,
goes on tangents about every single detail about him, and exaggerates the truth
because they know people will listen. I could not have seen this social injustice in
a regular text without the visual aids. The visual aids help myself and other
students connect to their own lives and rethink recent and vital news stories. For
example, the Darfur Crisis. In Mahmoud M. Galenders article News Values,
Cultural Proximity And Cross-Cultural Media Framing: How Western And

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:18 AM

Comment [12]: Some evidence, such as
quotes from the GN, would be persuasive
here.
Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:19 AM
Comment [13]: Interesting. How do
visual aids help over text alone?
Does the topic change here?

Muslim Media Covered Darfur we can see media sensationalism in effect.

The New York Times has shown a strong bend toward framing Darfur in
the triangular frame of ethnic cleansing, rape and genocide. The three
frames together received 78% of the total news focus on Darfur. The
Janjaweed frame appeared in 24 of the stories, whereas the juxtaposition
of Darfur on the Rwandan massacres appeared in 31 stories.
For the Malaysian and Qatari newspapers (Tables 5 and 6), the data
showed a considerable reflection of the same triangular frames, though the

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:19 AM

Comment [14]: Do you prepare us for
this information? What do you plan to
argue about this info in relationship to GN
and the comp classroom?

intensity of the emphasis of these frames was generally less (76.5% for
New Straits Times, 44.2% for Al-Sharq). Al-Sharq showed even less
emphasis on these stories as it focused on human-interest dimensions
relating to political solutions.
American media made the Darfur conflict out to be much more drastic than it really was,
just as Gothams news station made Batman more than he was. All of this was just for
ratings and views. As a story gets more exaggerated, it gets more attention. This is a form

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:19 AM

Comment [15]: good connection. How
might you tie back to the classroom?

of social injustice. The people need to know the exact truth of what is going on, not an
exaggerated version of it.
But graphic novels are not perfect. One drawback of them is their limitation on
imagination. Usually in fiction novels, readers can interpret for themselves what is going
on in the story, how the characters look, what their voices sound like, etc. In graphic
novels, most of the information and imagery is given and the reader just accepts it. But
overall, graphic novels are mainly a stepping-stone in the education process and a form of
leisure, so they are still a valuable resource in composition classrooms.
In conclusion, I feel that graphic novels are a vital resource in composition
classrooms because they assist in the learning of rhetoric and help students actually see
social injustice and connect it to the real world.

Ivan Sepulveda 12/2/2014 2:20 AM

Comment [16]: The conclusion lacks
almost all of the elements of a conclusion
and required by the prompt

Works Cited
Griffith, Paula E. "Graphic Novels In The Secondary Classroom And School
Libraries: Graphic Novels Can Provide Teaching And Learning
Opportunities For Readers, Educators, And Researchers. In This Article,
Discover Which Graphic Novels To Use And How To Use Them In Your
Classroom." Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 3 (2010): 181.
Literature Resource Center. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Tankersley, Karen. " Literacy Strategies for Grades 412: Reinforcing the
Threads of Reading." ascd.org. Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development (ASCD), June 2005. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Galander, Mahmoud M. "News Values, Cultural Proximity And Cross-Cultural
Media Framing: How Western And Muslim Media Covered Darfur."
Journal Of Arab & Muslim Media Research 5.2 (2012): 113-128.
Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
Miller, Frank, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley, John Costanza, and Bob Kane.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. New York, NY: DC Comics, 2002.
Print.

Dear Reader,

1. Ive worked towards by goals by dedicating more time to my readings and writing
assignment
2.
3.
4.
5.

Analytical Review because I spent the most time on it

6. Self Evaluation
a. All Underdeveloped