SUGGESTION OF MN 4 MINOR 4: Bankura University

on

 

Semester IV Graphic Narratives (MN-4) Suggestion by PKG SIR

Welcome to PKG WAY. SUGGESTION OF MN 4 MINOR 4 Bankura University

Unit I: Of the Canon

(Exam Pattern: Prepare for both 10-Mark Long Questions and 2-Mark Short Questions from this unit).

1. Art Spiegelman: Maus I: A Survivor's Tale

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Critically analyze Spiegelman's use of animal metaphors (mice, cats, pigs) to represent different nationalities and convey the horrors of the Holocaust.
  • Short Question (2 Marks): Why is the graphic narrative medium particularly effective for telling Vladek's story in Maus?

2. Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons: Watchmen (Chapters 1-3)

  • Long Question (10 Marks): How do chapters 1-3 of Watchmen deconstruct the traditional superhero mythos and reflect Cold War anxieties?
  • Short Question (2 Marks): What is the significance of the "Doomsday Clock" motif in Watchmen?

3. Frank Miller and Klaus Janson: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Discuss the role of the media and public opinion as portrayed in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
  • Short Question (2 Marks): How does the visual layout (such as the 16-panel grid) contribute to the pacing and gritty tone of the narrative?

Unit II: Of the Nation, Environment and Dystopia

(Exam Pattern: Prepare ONLY 10-Mark Long Questions from this unit. No 2-mark questions will be asked).

4. Orijit Sen: River of Stories

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Evaluate River of Stories as a powerful critique of "development" and a documentation of the Narmada Bachao Andolan.

5. Sarnath Banerjee: All Quiet in Vikaspuri

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Analyze the dystopian representation of Delhi's water crisis and corporate privatization in Sarnath Banerjee's All Quiet in Vikaspuri.

6. Vishwajyoti Ghosh: Delhi Calm

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Discuss how Vishwajyoti Ghosh uses satire, visual propaganda, and alternative history to depict the period of the Indian Emergency in Delhi Calm.

Unit III: Of the Bildungsroman

(Exam Pattern: Prepare for both 10-Mark Long Questions and 2-Mark Short Questions from this unit).

7. Natarajan, Srividya and Aparajita Ninan: A Gardener in the Wasteland

  • Long Question (10 Marks): How does A Gardener in the Wasteland visually and narratively document Jotiba Phule's crusade against the caste system and his fight for women's education?
  • Short Question (2 Marks): What is the significance of the title "A Gardener in the Wasteland"?

8. Marjane Satrapi: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Discuss Persepolis as a graphic Bildungsroman that maps the protagonist's coming-of-age against the backdrop of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.
  • Short Question (2 Marks): Briefly explain the symbolism of the veil in the opening chapters of Persepolis.

9. Amruta Patil: Kari

  • Long Question (10 Marks): Explore the themes of urban alienation, queer identity, and psychological survival in the smog-choked metropolis of Amruta Patil's Kari.
  • Short Question (2 Marks): How does Kari's profession in the advertising world contrast with her internal emotional landscape?

Pro-Tip from PKG SIR: For the 10-mark questions, always make sure to discuss both the written text (plot/theme) and the visual elements (art style, panel layout). Graphic narratives require you to analyze how the pictures and words work together!

Important Questions: Graphic Narratives (Semester-IV, Minor Stream)

If you are preparing for the Course Code: A/ENG/405/MN-4 (Graphic Narratives),

Unit I: Of the Canon

Focuses on Art Spiegelman, Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Frank Miller, and Klaus Janson. Note: This unit will have both 10-mark long questions and 2-mark short questions in the exam.

  • Q1 (Long): Analyze the use of animal metaphors and visual storytelling in Art Spiegelman's Maus I to depict historical trauma and memory.
  • Q2 (Long): How do Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons deconstruct the traditional superhero mythos in the first three chapters of Watchmen?
  • Q3 (Long): Discuss the visual style and gritty realism used by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson to reinvent the superhero genre in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
  • Q4 (Short/Conceptual): What is the significance of the comic medium in establishing "The Canon" of graphic narratives, drawing examples from Maus or Watchmen?
  • Q5 (Short/Conceptual): Briefly explain the relationship between verbal text and visuality in establishing the dark, dystopian tone of The Dark Knight Returns.

Unit II: Of the Nation, Environment and Dystopia

Focuses on Orijit Sen, Sarnath Banerjee, and Vishwajyoti Ghosh. Note: This unit will only feature 10-mark long questions in the exam (1 to be attempted out of 2).

  • Q1: How does Orijit Sen's River of Stories utilize the graphic narrative form to address environmental activism and the displacement of marginalized communities?
  • Q2: Analyze the satirical and dystopian elements portraying the urban water crisis in Sarnath Banerjee's All Quiet in Vikaspuri.
  • Q3: Discuss Vishwajyoti Ghosh's Delhi Calm as a political critique and visual documentation of the Indian Emergency.
  • Q4: Explore the intersection of nation-building, political unrest, and environmental degradation as depicted across the texts in this unit.
  • Q5: How do the graphic narratives in Unit II represent the specific register and language of Indian graphic novels in documenting contemporary concerns?

Unit III: Of the Bildungsroman

Focuses on Natarajan & Ninan, Marjane Satrapi, and Amruta Patil. Note: Like Unit I, this unit will feature both 10-mark long questions and 2-mark short questions.

  • Q1 (Long): Discuss Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood as a graphic Bildungsroman that intertwines personal coming-of-age with political turmoil.
  • Q2 (Long): Analyze the portrayal of historical resistance, caste, and the fight for liberty in A Gardener in the Wasteland: Jotiba Phule's Fight for Liberty.
  • Q3 (Long): How does Amruta Patil's Kari explore themes of urban alienation, gender identity, and survival in a modern metropolis?
  • Q4 (Short/Conceptual): What visual motifs are used in Persepolis to illustrate the protagonist's loss of innocence?
  • Q5 (Short/Conceptual): Briefly explain how the "Bildungsroman" genre is adapted to the graphic medium in Kari.

📌 Quick Look at the Exam Pattern (40 Marks Total)

  • Unit I: 1 Long Question (10 marks) to be attempted out of 2.
  • Unit II: 1 Long Question (10 marks) to be attempted out of 2.
  • Unit III: 1 Long Question (10 marks) to be attempted out of 2.
  • Short Questions: 5 Short Questions (2 marks each = 10 marks) to be attempted out of 10 questions total. Note: These short questions will ONLY come from Units I & III.

Best of luck with your End Semester Examinations!

Comments

Post a Comment