The Vocabulary of Comics

In the second chapter, McCloud discusses icons and how details, or lack there of, change one's perception on comics. I thought the most interesting section of this chapter was when he lined up the faces from most detailed to nothing but a circle, two dots, and a line. He then put labels underneath reading "one," "a few," "thousands", "millions," and then "(nearly) all." He does this to describe the universality of cartoon imagery. He states, "The more cartoony a face is, for instance, the more people it could be said to describe." Before reading, I had viewed comics merely as short humorous conversations, and I did not really care for them at all, which I don't know if I do yet. McCloud's explanation on how people view comics interested me a lot because I am so used to reading them and just taking it for how it is, not really looking into it much. Through reading this book, I developed a lot better understanding of comics and what they consist of.

Beowulf

The different translations I read were those of John Gibb, E.L. Risden, and Kevin Crossley-Holland. I found The Dragon to be the most interesting segment of the story because Beowulf proved to be successful through Grendel and Grendel's mother, but then he runs into trouble when he encounters the dragon. Naegling, his loyal sword ends up snapping during his fight with the dragon. In his near death situation, a thane named Wiglaf comes to his assistance, and helps Beowulf defeat the dragon, risking his life. Sacrifice is one of the themes found in this part of the story. It is exemplified through Wiglaf standing up to the dragon, in order to save Beowulf and help kill the dragon, willing to give up his life for his friend's. Death is also an apparent theme because Beowulf struggles against the dragon, and is almost killed because his sword fails him. Death is also seen in the dragon, when he falls short at the end. Trust is another theme found in The Dragon. Beowulf relies on Naegling to get him through the battle with the dragon because it had not yet failed him before. It's almost as if his sword betrayed him. The different translations help me in understanding the text because one translation might use a good description of what occurred in a segment, while another might leave out some detail in a different section. They all kind of back each other up, and add to the comprehension of what happened in Beowulf. This story is a classic example of a Hero's journey because it begins with a send off, and he goes through trials (Grendel and Grendel's mother), he almost fails at the end, but Wiglaf (his help) assists him in defeating the dragon.

Hero

To me, a hero is someone a person, or people, look up to in some sort of way. Whether it is their actions, personality, or views on different things. What does it mean to be a hero? I think to be considered a hero, one must respect the person, and the hero must have done something to earn this respect. A hero should be someone a person views as a positive thing in their life, but a hero to some people may be looked at as a "negative" thing in another person's eyes. The hero has been popularized through many different elements. It has became known through books, comics, television shows, movies, people in history, and everyday people in life (family member, teacher, doctor, dentist, etc.) I think the world needs heroes to give others something to base their lives on, to look up to, and to try to be like (because if someone is trying to be like another, they must value something he/she has in their life, which could be anything).

Monomyth

The hero I chose was Harry Potter. His story, like The Hero with a Thousand Faces began with a call to action. Throughout the series, Harry is approached in different ways. For instance, owl letters, Dumbledore, the house elf, and what not. He is called to action because of his unknown history of being one of the most powerful wizards. After he accepts the call, to escape the horrible living situation with his aunt, uncle, and spoiled cousin, Harry encounters one his protective figures, Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts Wizard School. I see the "crossing the threshold" as the train station Harry has to take to get to school because he has never experienced it before, and didn't even know it existed. The road of trials for Harry include bullies, dealing with his popularity, and learning magic. The thing supporting him in his battles are his two close friends and magic. Harry Potter doesn't really meet his "goddess" until later in the series. He goes through his ups and downs with both of his very close friends though. "Atonement with the father" can be observed throughout all of the books, when Harry is triggered by different thoughts and emotions concerning his dead parents. "Apotheosis" for him is when he sacrifices his life for pretty much everyone he encounters, when facing evil. I think Harry's "ultimate boon" is his magic and newfound feeling of confidence when returning to the "muggle" (human) world he once lived in. The reason for Harry's "refusal of the return" is because he has found a place where he is a lot more content than at his relatives. An example of Harry "losing his ego" is when his friends refuse to contact him through owl mail for a long period of time, while he is stuck at the muggle house. "The crossing of the return threshold" is exemplified every summer when Harry must return to his aunt and uncle's house. Eventually, he has to force himself to remain there due to safety precautions. Harry has to perceive both worlds then, and it is difficult for him because he knows he has the power of magic, but is not allowed to use it outside of school. Finally, the "freedom to live" is shown when Harry ignores the school's demands, and uses his boon upon his relatives in an act of revenge.

What is an American?

I think of an American as someone who lives in America and has some kind of knowledge of what their country has been through to get them to where they are today. Americans also take pride in their country and what it stands for. They should not take their rights for granted.

2 Theories

One of the theories that interested me the most was the biographical literary theory. I chose this one because I enjoy reading about other people's lives, whether it's relating to them or learning from their experiences.

The second theory I found interesting was the socialist literary theory. The reason I chose this theory was because I like observing how people start off at one end of the spectrum and end up on the other side by enduring whatever struggles they have experienced in life.