Directions: Memoirs – For the first essay, the theme which you will be exploring will be different types of memoirs and how do we understand the role of different methods by which people express their life histories. A comparison of Malala and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is a great example. Both of these books deal with the plight of schoolgirls living under a fundamentalist regime. While Malala tells her story in a traditional narrative form whereas Satrapi uses a graphic novel to channel her coming-of-age during the Iranian revolution?
• Define memoir in your own words as part of your introduction
• What do you consider the main strengths of using images to tell this story? What are the main limitations of doing so?
• What are the main strengths of a traditional memoir? What are the limitations?
• What traditional novels that you’ve read do you think might be better in this graphic format? Why?
• You should talk about how the two forms compare. You should talk about at least three themes as you discuss the form. For example, you can talk about identity crisis, masculinity, or living in a war zone as part of your argument. How do the two texts express these themes? Which one is more effective in being able to express trauma properly?
• If you go beyond the word limit but have consulted your idea for your paper with me, it should be okay.
• If you would like to discuss your paper’s idea with me, please email me your thesis argument and outline to get my feedback. Please do not send me rough drafts as I won’t have the time to go through all the essays before marking them.
• You can refer to the documentaries/films/short clips we used to class to make your arguments.
Length: 1000-1200 words
