According to this article, teachers should promote the use of graphic novels in order to develop the ideas proposed by the researcher. In particular, the strengthening of the integration between genders and the possibility to express a solid ideological position seem to be the best way to promote the use of graphic novels together with a more formal curricular study plan.
There are several examples in the article which could be used to clarify the main ideas of the author as well to develop classroom application; for instance, in the debate of the novel “Deogratias”, the girls group tends to focus on the characters’ inner view and they tend to express a preference of the characters’ interactions with the other. On the other hand, the boys group tends to focus more on interpreting the actions of the characters, trying to understand what happened and why something happened. This example show an interesting interaction between the genders which tend to express different attitude towards the novel and it might be an interesting application to be used in the classroom in order to develop a challenging debate which could show some social and analytical interaction
However, I believe that despite the use of graphic novels as a supplement to the more formal curriculum might create interesting opportunities for students to connect with communication and develop genders integration, graphic novels are not an appropriate form of education and therefore should not be included in a class program. I believe thus that graphic novels should not be a compulsory study and should not be necessarily a subject of debate in a class but should remain like an interesting and spontaneous hobby teenagers who would choose it according to his/her taste, mood, mental stress or peer review from his/her friend. Moreover I believe that graphic novels shouldn’t be necessarily analyzed but let to the reader’s sensations and interpretations. Finally I would like to stress that the article fail to analyze a significant statistical population, considering that the study’s participants in indeed very homogeneous, therefore I believe that a more global analysis that would include students from different locations and age should be made.
REFERENCES
Cherland, M. (1994). Private practices: Girls reading fiction and constructing identity.. (Vol. 17). London, UK: London: Taylor & Francis.
