OK, what's going on Jon? I didn't buy this book at the bookstore originally because I thought, no, this can't be for our literature class (bad or not), there must be some mistake.
But no, this is what we are supposed to be reading.
I don't think the question here should be--is this bad literature or not, but, is this literature at all? This is a comic book. I mean, I'm not complaining, it's easy reading, it's cute. Some comics are funny, some not as much (though I realize this is personal taste), and some I don't understand because of their references to things in Argentina that I am not aware of. Personally, I don't think comic strips are literature, though I do think a graphic novel could be considered literature. However, I wouldn't put 10 Años de Mafalda under the graphic novel category because it doesn't have a plot, though maybe it does have subtext.
Although, I do think that this book can be studied. Like literature it has themes and characters and sometimes even, a political message. Also, I think a lot can be said about a country by it's popular culture so I am interested to discuss this in class, and perhaps, also learn something about Argentina. I think though, when you study popular culture, you are studying the preferences of what Jon would call the "middlebrow", and perhaps that was his intention of choosing this work. I think, especially now, there is a lot of debate as to whether popular culture has cultural merit. Is it "cultured" culture? If it isn't high culture, though it is popular culture, does it have cultural worth and can we say it defines a country or a people because it is popular?
2 comments:
"is this literature at all?"
Indeed. Indeed.
"especially now, there is a lot of debate as to whether popular culture has cultural merit. Is it "cultured" culture? If it isn't high culture, though it is popular culture, does it have cultural worth?"
Good questions...
i like that we looked at ways in which Mafalda can be considered 'literature' and ways that it cannot. i also like that -i believe Jon suggested- maybe we don't have to decide. i think we basically said that Mafalda is not literature exactly as it is very true to comic form however it does have some literary characteristics such as characters, dialogue, fiction, plot (not always consecutive but it's there nonetheless and parts of Mafalda's life does 'develop', even if just chronologically).
i like that you said 'this book can be studied' -regardless of its comic class/status ;)
it is obvious that it was not just created purely for entertainment (light amusement). while some historietas provide obvious, simple, temporary amusement, others provide this plus a strong dash of sarcasm, irony, cynicism.. and make heavy commentaries about social, political, familial, and self -awareness (etc).
in fact, i almost made an argument in class 'for literature' for this reason; because a lot of the comics display deliberate themes and messages and intend to make the reader think, even persuade them, as many books do. but that doesn't necessarily make the comics more like literature (as much literature is absent of overt social/political commentary and is created for pure amusement). but it does make the comics interesting and stimulating in their own right and therefore ripe for studying, as you suggest.
re: pop. culture (a big topic i know but..)
i think popular culture definitely has 'cultural merit', at least in the sense that it's something that virtually Everyone is exposed to -and therefore Affected by, whether they like it or not. so again, in this sense i believe it does have cultural merit but it is not necessarily 'definitive' nor representative of a culture (i'm sure Jaime would agree!). but it IS one part of a wide and varied spectrum that is 'culture'. and each individual considered to be 'of that culture' practices their culture in a personal, selective and interpretive way. -even if that way is to reject it. (because this is still a Reaction to that culture. which maintains that that the culture is present and significant.)
interesting to think about anyway..
Post a Comment