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MSAC Mental Health The Killing Joke Essay

MSAC Mental Health The Killing Joke Essay

MSAC Mental Health The Killing Joke Essay

Description

Understanding Comics: The Killing Joke

For your first essay, you will apply concepts from Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics as well as my online lectures (especially “How to Describe Drawn Art”) to form an argument about The Killing Joke (with secondary references to Batman: Year One).

Remember: An argument is an opinion (a “conclusion”) supported by reasons (“premises”). The main opinion of your paper will be your thesis; the main premises of your paper will be the material you describe and analyze in your essay body. 

First, pick one of the following topics to help narrow down what your specific argument will be about:

The dichotomy between the Joker and Batman, as characters, as the “villain” versus the “hero,” as “good” versus “evil” (Are they really “good versus evil”? Is there a specific reason why Batman is “good” and Joker is “bad” that the average reader does not realize?) 

Psychology, specifically sanity and insanity and what motivates people to do what they do. (Is the Joker simply “crazy”? Or is something more complex and more human going on? How does that change how we perceive the characters?)

Trauma, specifically the pain people experience and how it motivates them, how they respond and cope (do not simply say, “The Joker goes through trauma so that’s why he becomes the Joker.” That is too literal and too obvious. Explore the specific nature of Joker’s trauma. Why does Joker respond to his trauma one way, while Batman responds to his own trauma–the killing of his parents–a different way? Or are they responding differently, after all? Why does Commissioner Gordon handle his own trauma differently than Joker or Batman?)

(There may naturally be some overlapping of topics, but it still helps to focus on one topic for now for the purpose of textual analysis, brainstorming, and drafting.) 

Second, look for how Alan Moore and Brian Bolland explore that specific topic within The Killing Joke by choosing four specific scenes to focus your attention on. Analyze how those four scenes depict, explore, or comment on the specific topic you have selected. These scenes should receive body paragraphs devoted to each of them (so one scene’s description and analysis takes up one body paragraph, four total scenes will equal four total body paragraphs).

A “scene” in this context is a sequence of panels that follows the action of specific characters in one specific setting. Most scenes in this story last one or two pages and cover ten to twenty panels or so. If in doubt, ask me by email.

One of your four scenes MUST be the “joke” scene at the end of the novel where Joker tells Batman a joke and the two laugh, ending the story. These are the final two pages of the story (pdf pages 49 and 50).

You must also use Batman: Year One at least twice somewhere in your paper. Use that story and any of its elements to compare and contrast with something you are analyzing in scenes from The Killing Joke. For example, if you were analyzing the meaning of a particular color or art choice in The Killing Joke, you might juxtapose it with a similar element from Batman: Year One. Though Joker never appears in Batman: Year One, we do see a lot of Batman and James Gordon in both comics for character contrast or analysis. 

Based on these four scenes, your goal is to form a specific, main claim or opinion interpreting what The Killing Joke seems to communicate about that topic you selected above. That claim will form your thesis

  • Your thesis claim should be balanced between description and interpretation. Too much summary will form an obvious, simple thesis with nothing interesting or deep to argue (examples of too descriptive or literal: “Batman is the hero and Joker is the villain” or “Joker wants to make Gordon insane because it will prove one bad day can change anyone’s life”). Too much interpretation will form too speculative and imaginative a paper with not enough support to persuade the reader that you are right (“Joker is really Jesus sent by God to save Gotham City” or “Batman is hallucinating the entire story; Joker does not really exist.”). You are seeking a balance where your argument is both grounded in the text but sufficiently interesting, insightful, and original.
  • Analyze both the words and actions in the text of The Killing Joke and what the art and visuals of The Killing Joke communicate (such as through line, shape, color, panel-to-panel transition, whatever elements you feel are most relevant to help you make your case). Visuals should form a large percentage of your evidence for this paper to be convincing, and you must use concepts from McCloud’s Understanding Comics to make your argument even more convincing. Quote McCloud’s text and use McCloud’s terminology to help you describe and dissect the scenes you have chosen. Use these elements and this level of analysis in your references to Batman: Year One as well.
  • Your goals are to be:

Specific–describe in detail, make specific claims, quote the text, describe specific elements of the art (“talk the talk” using the terminology we have discussed from McCoud). offer specific ideas and reasons

Clear–explain what you mean, use direct and understandable language, show what you mean with examples

Well-supported–whatever claims you make, you back them up with reasons and evidence that substantiate your opinions. You use evidence from the visuals of the book as well as the words. You use McCloud to assist you. Your associations are relevant and accurate.

Insightful–go beyond the superficial to find deeper ideas and meaning, things that are not obvious to a casual reader. Your paper is a honest effort to explore the ideas and the novel, and your essay is engaged and thoughtful.

NOTE: You are NOT allowed to use any source for this paper beyond my lectures, Understanding Comics, Batman: Year One, or The Killing Joke. Outside sources include what other critics or readers have said about the novel. If you quote an outside source, your paper will be graded down. If you “borrow” someone else’s ideas through plagiarism, even if briefly, your paper will receive a zero. This needs to be YOUR analysis, your ideas, and your work on display. However, using your own knowledge gained from experience or other classes–not quoted from outside sources, but known previously by you directly–is perfectly acceptable and encouraged.

The final draft of the essay is due on Friday, March 25, by 11:59 p.m. Late papers are not accepted. 

You will submit your final draft online through our course’s Canvas site. You will see an assignment labeled “Essay #1,” and when your draft is complete, please save it as a word file or pdf. (Google doc users or Pages users will need to save the file as or download the file as a word or pdf.) You will then upload that file to Canvas to turn it in to me. 

This paper is worth up to 100 points. You will have the chance to revise this paper for a new grade; details about revisions will be shared in future weeks. 

You are allowed–encouraged, even– to email me a copy of your rough draft for direct feedback from me. Please send it as a pdf or word file, or even copy and paste it into an email. Email it to pobrien@mtsac.edu. As long as you send it to me by Wednesday, 3/23, by noon, I will review it. After that day and time, I will politely tell you I’m not reviewing it anymore. I won’t mark spelling errors or grammar mistakes; I will address larger advice to help you improve the areas I grade for most (detail, clarity, support, and insight).

Rough drafts are optional. No one loses any points if they send nothing. Do what you will or what you can. At the same time, it really pays to get feedback from a teacher. So I urge you all to email me a draft, even if it’s partial (a paragraph or two). Please do not send me four different drafts, though. Try to send me one solid draft once, and then we’ll go from there.

Remember, too, that you can use office hours and/ or optional classroom visits for draft review. Office hours and classroom attendance are both optional during Week 5, but if you prefer to go over a rough draft that way, you are free to do so.

You may email me questions as often as you like. If I have already answered your question in an guidelines post, I will say so, but otherwise, I realize a lot of things may come up as you write. Email me. I’m here to help, each and every day, until the paper is due.

Look online for posted guidelines about how to write this essay effectively. Guidelines will be posted on weeks 4 and 5, and I expect you not only to read that posted advice but seriously attempt to follow it. Guidelines are requirements. 

My suggested order for drafting is the following:

Read The Killing Joke slowly and carefully twice, especially now that you know what the essay is. Read once just to understand the story. Read it twice to start narrowing down what you want to write about, looking for scenes to cover. If any scene or even panel is really confusing you, consider emailing me for help.

Pick the topic above that either most interests you or which stands out to you in your reading of The Killing Joke. If you are debating between topics, consider a.) which topic do you SEE most easily in the story? And b.) which topic INTERESTS you personally more than the others?

Read The Killing Joke yet again, this time looking for the specific scenes which seem to most relate to your chosen topic. Make notes of these chapters with post-it tabs or  or in your notebook. Keep track of page numbers. Hint: The weirder a scene is, often the more interesting and rewarding its analysis turns out to be.

Narrow down your list of scenes to at least three (the joke scene at the end is required, so it will be your fourth scene, so mark it too). Pick the scenes that seem most relevant or interesting regarding your topic. 

Read those specific scenes slowly and analytically. Look at every panel. Analyze line, color, shape, scale, movement, sound effects, transitions, style, dialogue–every little detail that may form evidence for your essay later. Make notes in a notebook or a new word file. Be creative and go slowly. If you’re not sure whether an idea of yours is strong enough or if you’re worried you’re getting too weird or “out there,” consider emailing me for feedback. Use McCloud’s terms and concepts. Don’t be afraid to be a little creative.This brainstorm takes a long time–days even. Be patient with yourself. Give yourself time. 

Based on the notes you’ve assembled and your early ideas, begin to form a claim about what Alan Moore and Brian Bolland are saying about that topic in The Killing Joke. Your claim should be opinionated and therefore debatable. A good claim is never too obvious (“Moore and Bolland believe Joker is crazy”) or too literal (“Moore and Bolland present Batman as a hero and Joker as a villain”) but something more daring, deep, and engaging. Make sure that claim flows from your evidence–that is, you are being imaginative, but you are also able to actually demonstrate your claim with the examples you’ve found. If you’re not sure whether the claim is strong enough, consider emailing me for a second opinion; I can make suggestions if the claim isn’t quite strong enough yet. 

Draft that thesis statement. Then decide, what is the best way to present a case for that thesis? You could create body paragraphs around the scenes themselves, spending one paragraph analyzing one scene at a time (I recommend this). You could create body paragraphs around one analytical element at a time, such as one paragraph devoted to dialogue and another devoted to color, etc. Whatever structure you choose, find your best, most relevant piece of evidence and draft it first. Then pick your second best and draft it next. Always put your best evidence first and least best last. Consider emailing me if you’re not sure about a structure or if you’re debating between different structures and don’t know which is better.

Revise what you have written for more detail, adding quotes and more examples. I will post guidelines about how to cite the text effectively, both in terms of proper formatting and good style. Explain your smaller claims or reword those claims that may be vague or confusing. Ask yourself, What else could I add to make this idea stronger? Try to layer on extra material to make each paragraph strong and convincing.

To fulfill the requirement, add at least two separate references to Batman: Year One. This gives you more material because the two works depict these characters differently, and the different authors and illustrators make different choices. Comparing and contrasting art details is a great way to develop your body paragraphs. Two references are required, but you may make more than two references if it helps you write a better paper.

Only once the body paragraphs feel solid, add the intro and conclusion. Add an essay title. Format your paper following the MLA guidelines I provide online during week 4. Review all my posted advice quickly one more time and make any small adjustments to be sure you are following that advice. All guidelines that I post online, I expect you to follow. I need to see you TRY it; those who don’t follow posted guidelines will be marked down.

Edit what you have written for punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Read it out loud. Have someone else read it out loud, if you trust them. If one of your sentences sounds strange, reword it for clarity. If you have any technical questions about punctuation or grammar, consider emailing me those questions. (Maybe even try grammarly.com or a Writing Center tutor online.) If in doubt, keep your sentences simple and direct.

Save your final draft as a word file or pdf. Submit your paper online before 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 25. Collapse into a bucket. Re-evaluate your place in the universe, feel momentary yet authentic pride at a task well executed, and be forever haunted intellectually by the novel and topic you just explored.

If ANYTHING goes wrong–technically or in your life–reach out to me ASAP. Let me help you however I can. If anything STARTS TO GO WRONG–you are leaving the country, a beloved relative went to the hospital, your work is doubling–email me immediately.

Remember, you will have the chance to revise this paper for an entirely new grade. If somehow you run out of time or life keeps you from completing this paper the way you planned, turn ANYTHING in on time and then revise it later. The bare minimum to turn in is a blank document–literally a file with nothing on it is acceptable as a submission. But it must be on time. Late or missing drafts receive a zero and result in a drop from the course (see my syllabus for details). 

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