The Comic I
chose to look at for this blog post is from the article “A perilous journey:
Hasko’s flight to Europe from Syria- an illustrated account” and it tells the
tale of a Syrian Refugee that flees Turkey in search of a better life. Stories
of refugees fleeing their current circumstances are quite common in light of
the recent migrant crisis taking place in Europe; however, most of these
stories are told through photographs or mere words. To address this journey
through comics has greatly heightened the severity of the journey itself and
the struggle of refugees themselves in deciphering whether such a risk is worth
it. This comic is also an example of a non-fiction, autobiographical comic,
which adds to the importance of the narrative.
I read this
comic via The Guardian website. The comic was illustrated by Lindsay Pollock,
and depicts the life of Hasko, a refugee from Syria, who fled to Turkey, only
to take a dangerous journey over the waters to find asylum in Italy. The entire
comic is done in black and white, which holds a diegetic purpose in this
comic. The diegetic use of colour is a
concept that McCloud supports in his view of colour and comics. The use of
black and white embodies the black and white premise available to Hasko’s
situation. Hasko must face adverse conditions for the possibility of finding a
better life for his family. For this reason to use black and white in this
comic comments on Hasko’s lack of other opportunities to survive in Turkey. His
life itself is black and white, as he must choose one unsafe situation for
another unsafe situation. The lack of option in Hasko’s life is reflective in
the colours used to draw this comic.
It is unclear
whether this comic was meant to be placed online or not because under some
panels, textual captions are placed that continue the flow of the narrative. In
other ways, the comic looks hand drawn, with trace marks and white paper
outlines. Either way, the fact that is comic is most probably hand drawn adds
to the personality embedded in the text and the factual content of the comic
itself. It adds to the reality that the comic portrays to know that it is hand
drawn.
The ways textual
elements used vary drastically throughout the comic. The comic utilizes speech
bubbles, caption boxes, and caption lines below the panels, to tell the
narrative. The speech bubbles, caption boxes, and captions both have a
narration function in this comic, as Baetmans would say, as the character is
speaking directly to the reader. By directly speaking to the reader through
many textual elements, the reader is able to always know that this is a
reflexive story and that the speaker is always Hasko.
Upon beginning
my reading of this comic, I did not realize that Hasko was the sole narrator until
I read the text more carefully to realize Hasko gave every piece of textual
communication. By having Hasko speak directly to the reader, the reader is able
to connect more so to Hasko in an emotional sense because the reader is aware
of whom this comic is about. The reader can also connect to the comic
emotionally because of the simplicity in the drawings of Hasko’s life. The text
fuels the imagery used to depict the journey as the artist merely portrays
exactly what Hasko says, rather than adding any element of surprise or
exaggeration to the story.
Panel sizes were
also a very distinct element in this comic as the panels vary greatly
throughout the comic. Bigger panels are contrasted by smaller panels, rectangle
panels are placed next to square panels, and vertical images are contrasted by
horizontal, landscape images. The imagery set in the bigger panels usually
embody a close-up of facial expressions and showcase hardships on the journey.
In the smaller panels, we see more portrait drawings of objects or just Hasko
on his own. The purpose of making the bigger panels showcase facial expression
serves to allow the reader to focus on the struggle of the refugees themselves
and their thought process upon travelling such a journey. This is important for
the comic and the readers because it serves to heighten the perspective from
which this comic is told: it is told from the perspective of a refugee. Often
from the media, we hear of the “difficulties” in the journey from the middle
east to Europe or we see what happens upon the arrival of the refugees. Rarely
are audiences provided with the perspective of the refugees upon their journey
and what they witness and endure. Audiences are not exposed to this
perspective, but through this comic, we see this perspective and the reality of
these dangers. This should make those who are unaware of the severity of this
crisis more aware and insightful about what risks are truly involved in
undertaking such a task.
By: Kirthana
Sasitharan
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