OPTION A: HOW DO WE READ A “PAGE”?: It’s very obvious, right? One simply starts at the upper left-hand corner, reads the top line from left to right, and then continues down to the next line—and repeats the process, sometimes for thousands of lines! Predictable? Sure! Engaging? Maybe… “Graphic texts” do not work in the same way. We’ll be reviewing a HANDOUT about this and discussing various “pages” that are quite unlike traditional prose. Please choose one or two SPECIFIC sequences of panels.
Then explain what you notice about these pages and how they are composed. Please do not just summarize what “happens.” Make sure to try to use some terms from the handout.
OPTION B: CAN A HOUSE BE A CHARACTER?: As we saw in Gatsby, houses aren’t just places to live in—they are active expressions of people’s dreams and delusions. In Fun Home, the Bechdel house isn’t just something they bought with lots of cash—they created and re-created their home almost from scratch, and the details abound in many chapters. Carefully note and explain the significance of certain details and what they reveal (or conceal) about certain characters. (HINT: Perhaps start with the front and inside covers…)
