This is the first time I've enjoyed one of the graphic novel readings; I guess they're just not my cup of tea in general. I attribute this to the style of development Kirkman uses by which we are able to learn more about the characters progressively. With that being said, I admit that I enjoyed the series much more. I think that the commentary within the novel was far more poignant and effectively delivered, but the series really allowed the disaster to sink in. Whether this is the result of visuals, changed dialogue, or something else, I'm not sure. The message that was most evident to me was the family relationship in the face of this apocalypse: regardless of what was happening, family took first priority, perhaps over the safety of oneself. On page 27, we read that Rick doesn't believe that Morgan's squatting has to be justified because he is simply protecting his son. After Rick is reunited with Lori and Carl, he realizes that he hasn't "had time to be scared." (61) Perhaps a counter-example to this would be Jim's escape from Atlanta which "happened so fast he didn't even realize what was going on" (84). He certainly looked out for himself, but it is unclear whether they were already lost before he could have helped them.
Throughout the rest of the reading, numerous examples of family relationships are present and it is definitely a big theme Kirkman was trying to hit on. In the adaptation for TV, I think that the writers do an excellent job of integrating the Rick's struggle into the story, but it often detracts from his immense desire to be reunited with them, something felt throughout the entire beginning of the novel. I think this is due to the heavier emphasis on Morgan and some other things only briefly present in the novel. Still, I would probably watch more of The Walking Dead than read it.
12/03/2014
The Walking Dead
The graphic novel of the Walking Dead illustrated the common feeling and hope in an apocalyptic society where a separated family feels that their reunion will be the savior and will fix all their problems. AS Rick said, he was just a man looking for his family and would do anything to find them. However, to the belief that finding the family will fix everything didn't go as such in The Walking Dead. In this graphic novel, the return of Rick only made things worse, ultimately leading to the deaths of three characters, including Rick's best friend. This opposite of what was thought to happen exemplifies how not everything goes as planned, and when people are put into extremely difficult situations, they can occasionally lose themselves and sight of their ultimate goal, as shown with Shane. The graphic novel showed the change in a person's character as they are continually exposed to an apocalyptic society.
The Walking Dead
This is the third time this semester (and in my life) that I have loved a graphic novel. I think I am really starting to get into this genre as a serious form of literary entertainment.
The Walking Dead has been one of those shows that, since it came out, I have wanted to watch, but have never committed myself to. So this was a great introduction.
One thing I really liked about this graphic novel in particular was how quickly it moved. Within the first 10 panels you knew what it was basically about and who Rick Grimes was. And from there, no time was wasted on any bullshit. The authors cut right to it and moved it along at a enjoyable clip. Additionally, I found much of what was said to be very poignant. Like some people have noted, the part about how she was such a nice girl, and how the zombie infection didn't pick and choose its victims really stood out to me.
Also, after I read this first volume, I watched the first episode in the series. I loved it. I was really amazed at how closely it followed the first bit of the graphic novel. Reading the descriptions of the first 6 episodes on netflix, it seems like the first season is mainly the first volume of the graphic novel with some extra stuff thrown in.
Maybe now I will start watching the show and find the rest of the graphic novel to binge watch/read over winter break!
The Walking Dead has been one of those shows that, since it came out, I have wanted to watch, but have never committed myself to. So this was a great introduction.
One thing I really liked about this graphic novel in particular was how quickly it moved. Within the first 10 panels you knew what it was basically about and who Rick Grimes was. And from there, no time was wasted on any bullshit. The authors cut right to it and moved it along at a enjoyable clip. Additionally, I found much of what was said to be very poignant. Like some people have noted, the part about how she was such a nice girl, and how the zombie infection didn't pick and choose its victims really stood out to me.
Also, after I read this first volume, I watched the first episode in the series. I loved it. I was really amazed at how closely it followed the first bit of the graphic novel. Reading the descriptions of the first 6 episodes on netflix, it seems like the first season is mainly the first volume of the graphic novel with some extra stuff thrown in.
Maybe now I will start watching the show and find the rest of the graphic novel to binge watch/read over winter break!
The Walking Dead
The scene just before Shane's death really stuck out to me. He's releasing all of his inner thoughts to Rick and it reveals so much about his character that Rick didn't realize before, especially since they were former partners. The differences of the realities of Rick and Shane are quite interesting. Shane sees Rick as changing "destiny" so to speak; he essentially blames the influx of walkers near the campsite on Rick, whether he acknowledges it or not. Since Shane thought that since Rick was as good as dead, he could finally take what was Rick's without the repercussions of Rick being alive to have a say in it. However, this reality changed when Rick showed up. The intimacy that Shane had shared with Lori was removed because her husband was now alive again. Rick knew none of this until Shane snapped. I found the difference that the simple knowledge of the affair could create such different realities. Rick had no idea that he was driving Shane off the deep end by coming back.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead
After reading The Walking Dead, I was able to connect a lot of the previous texts we've read to the story. One particular scene that stood out to me was when Lori is seen crying and kneeling on the ground after Shane punches Rick. Lori says, "What's happening to us?" and "It's never going to be the same again. We're never going to be normal again..." I thought those quotes were very powerful; in any apocalyptic event, it is very hard to go back to the familiarity and comfortableness of life before. This reminded me of Sam in The Flame Alphabet. Sam deals with the idea of normality as well. Towards the end of the book, he struggles to accept that Claire, Esther, and him will never have the loving relationship they once had. The takeaway I got from reading The Walking Dead and The Flame Alphabet is that, with time, change is inevitable. It is hard to replicate the past and if you hold on to it, it will consume you.
The Walking Dead Comic
One of the pivotal
scenes in “The Walking Dead” volume 1 comic was the scene where Amy was
attacked by the zombies and the survivors of the camp buried her body. I found
what Jim said to be very moving. His remark, “She was a pretty girl…smart too.
She shoulda been going to college…living her life…being young….being happy.
This should never have happened. She didn’t deserve his. Nobody deserves this.”
This quote really stuck with me because it brings up the point that apocalypses
don’t always favor certain people over others. Obviously, we have read about
real-world crises where poor and vulnerable people are hit harder than others
because they have less resources but overwhelmingly, apocalyptic events hit
everyone with surprising equality. Apocalyptic events such as the one depicted
in the comic target everyone equally, no matter if the character is young or old or had
a promising life or a horrible life before the apocalypse. This, to me, provides an explanation
for why apocalyptic events cause hopelessness. There is nothing the people can
do to change the apocalypse because it is beyond their control. They know that they
do not deserve the suffering they are experiencing, but cannot change it, and this causes them to
give up trying to save themselves.
Walking Dead - comic
Having seen the TV show, it was interesting to observe the little differences. The biggest difference I noticed was the fact that Carl kills Shane. This scene exemplifies the difficult things that people are forced to do in apocalyptic situations. In a normal world a seven year old shouldn't be carrying a gun in the first place. But in end times things are different. On one hand if Carl hadn't started carrying a gun, his mother might have died during the attack on their camp, and furthermore his father might have been killed by Shane. Nonetheless, the mental strain it must put on someone so young is unimaginable. Even the strain of killing a zombie as a seven year old is hard to imagine, but killing a real person at that age is really an indicator of the difficult circumstances of the comic. I would be interested to find out if the comic continues to portray the effects of the environment on Carl specifically, in a different way than the TV Show.
12/02/2014
The Walking Dead
"In a world rule by the dead, we are forced to finally start living." - The Walking Dead, Volume 1.
I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel, as it is compelling and insightful. What may seem like a basic post-apocalypse-refugee camp is actually a perfect setting for meaningful character development, as proven by Robert Kirkman's profound use of realism to convey his points about human nature. The dynamic that exists between the refugees at the campsite is all too realistic, as feelings of jealousy, anxiety, and mistrust overpower the fairytale emotions put forth by less intellectual authors. I find the plot of "The Walking Dead" to be fascinating, as it takes an innately silly topic and uses it as a medium for complex drama and intelligent plot twists. I am intrigued by Kirkman's ability to kill off characters (and horses) that other authors may not have the heart to kill, as I believe this kicks up the realism of the situation. Not every "good person" makes it out alive, as characterized by the biting and eventual death of Jim. The camp setting is a truly a stomping ground for economic game theory, as each person's actions are inherently guided by self-interest, which provides for an intriguing plot to unfold. As this class progresses, I am gaining a true respect for the power of graphic novels in conveying relevant insights onto the topics they encompass. I will certainly be in the market for some more graphic novels after this class ends, so I hope to read more of "The Walking Dead" in the future!
12/04/14 Cristal Kim
I was a huge fan of The Walking Dead TV show a few years ago but sort of fell out of it last year; that being said, it was definitely a new perspective to read the series rather than watch it. The graphic novel seemed so much more fast-paced and watching at how quickly Rick adapted to everything was surprising, especially compared to the episode we were assigned to watch. However, one scene in the graphic novel, that they failed to reenact in the TV series, really stood out to me. When Rick is riding the horse to Atlanta he contemplates and reminisces about the "good ol' days" but quickly realizes how futile it is. I felt really moved by this passage because it does not just relate to apocalyptic situations but contemporary society as well. Granted, I've never been in any apocalyptic situations like this or in The Flame Alphabet (pray that never happens either), I do think people tend to romanticize the past even today. People are never satisfied with their current situation that they lean on the past when times were "simpler" or "easier," forcing them to forget all the bad things too. Although, it's nice to reminisce, too much can be depressing. You will never appreciate the now before it too becomes history and you can never move on. Here, Rick realizes that it's too late and further dwelling on it will only make his transition into this new life much harder. It's nice to be fond of our past but remember that what's important is right now.
11/20/2014
Flame Alphabet - Selection 2
Perhaps it is better now to liken a father to an animal parent. Certain caretaking is observed, but when the offspring matures, alienation and estrangement set in. Rivalry. The youngster grows preternaturally angry at the father, for some reason angrier at the father than at any other creature and the father opens a small hole in his chest to accommodate this anger which flows in rapidly. An emotional ecology is observed, with the energy composted and renewed in the chest of the man. A deep, circular structure is satisfied with the anger returning to its creator, who is probably not equipped to hold it anymore. He must release it through new activities to the world.
Page 256I think that this passage is an excellent example of where Ben Marcus practically explicitly states his belief about the nature of gratitude: cutthroat and almost animalistic. The father here gives everything to his child and gets little else than malice in return. This is certainly a bit of an exaggeration in many cases, but in a general context, it is hard to disagree that it is not uncommon for the reciprocation of a favor to be somewhat weaker or nonexistent. I believe that a person loses value in our eyes when we fail to acknowledge the things they do for us; certainly as much is evident in the relationship between Esther and Samuel. Esther (to my memory) doesn't once recognize the many things that he does for her and her animosity towards him grows progressively worse, culminating in what I find to be one of the most hateful departures I could imagine. Perhaps it is simply hardwired in us all to bite the hand that feeds us, but I think that Marcus tries to highlight this point as a small lesson in thankfulness.
Flame Alphabet - Second selection
"Through medicine I brought myself back to the language and those tones of Claire went, what's the word for it? They were gone. I do not hear them anymore. For that I blame the craven desire to speak, to write, to be heard." (277)
To me, this is a perfect description of the values and respective pitfalls of communication. In some ways it seems that humans would be able to get along much better if they were unable to communicate. It is far easier to feel compassion towards someone who cannot berate you. It is difficult to judge when the specifics of that judgement cannot be expressed, and similarly it is difficult to feel judged for the same reason. It seems that when there is no speech, there is no deliberation over the trials of the world. Though there is much that must be sacrificed when communication is no longer possible, it seems at least to me, that humanity is preserved and even made more prominent.
To me, this is a perfect description of the values and respective pitfalls of communication. In some ways it seems that humans would be able to get along much better if they were unable to communicate. It is far easier to feel compassion towards someone who cannot berate you. It is difficult to judge when the specifics of that judgement cannot be expressed, and similarly it is difficult to feel judged for the same reason. It seems that when there is no speech, there is no deliberation over the trials of the world. Though there is much that must be sacrificed when communication is no longer possible, it seems at least to me, that humanity is preserved and even made more prominent.
11/19/2014
The Flame Alphabet Second Selection
"I did not give up on my religion. I found only that I no longer required reminders, assertions, repetitions, harangues. Nothing outside myself. Whatever I believed played on inside me with no help from the radio. I'd heard enough for a lifetime. I found I could do without more things to misunderstand." (pg 275)
This passage is interesting because it represents the state of completely internalized, abstract concepts that Samuel and others strived to achieve the entire time they spent as dedicated followers of their sect of "Forest Judaism." Even though Burke claimed that he was the one true source from which teachings could be heard, this blind, unquestioning faith is exactly what caused them to stray from enlightenment. We see this when LeBov reveals that Burke's sermons were simply an old recorded loop, and Thomas was simply another of his own false identities; willingly preventing thought and critical analysis, while theoretically could make you more receptive to organic feelings and religious ideas in their pure form, also puts you in a position of extreme vulnerability as there is no way of knowing that someone is taking advantage of you-- or is simply misguided as well. A sermon by its very nature is already tainted, from a secondhand source. The only way to be truly confident in the infallibility of an idea or spiritual feeling is to have it originate from within, and to keep it your own. You avoid the marring influence of comprehension because you are not attempting to wordlessly feel something as described by another, instead it keeping on the fringe of your consciousness where you can feel what you mean without putting it into organized thought. This makes me think about those who reject modern organized religion in favor of their own manifestation of spirituality, and I wonder at what point they decided that this style of prescribed religion was not pure enough for them.
Part 2: Flame Alphabet
I am choosing the following passage which is right from the beginning of part two.
"I caught one last sight of Claire. She seemed confused. No one told her she'd come up short in the field and collapsed. No one told her she had not escaped. They stuffed me in my car, shut the door, then banged a hand on the roof to tell me it was okay to go now. Join the procession out of her. Get going. Without her. But it was not okay.......when I kicked on the doors they were blocked from the outside. It was like my car was underwater and I could not get out."
Even though this quote comes very early in part two, it stuck with me because it shows true desperation. This quote refers to when Sam and Claire were getting out of town and how Claire decided to go back to the house. However before she even made it to the house, her legs 'faltered' and she lay motionless on the field. When Sam tried to go and get her the men of the quarantine pinned him and stuffed him back in his car, and instructed to leave. Sam was bewildered and tried to go out again to get his wife but was again pinned down and he felt like his car was underwater and he was drowning in it. I found this passage to be very powerful because it reveals true helplessness and how a man has to leave behind his potentially deceased wife because people won't let him get her. I thought about what Sam could have done or what I would do to get Claire, but when you think about it he really could do nothing and was helpless. Even though he is eventually reunited with Claire, I hope no one ever has to go through this type of traumatic of experience, because it is frightening to think about.
"I caught one last sight of Claire. She seemed confused. No one told her she'd come up short in the field and collapsed. No one told her she had not escaped. They stuffed me in my car, shut the door, then banged a hand on the roof to tell me it was okay to go now. Join the procession out of her. Get going. Without her. But it was not okay.......when I kicked on the doors they were blocked from the outside. It was like my car was underwater and I could not get out."
Even though this quote comes very early in part two, it stuck with me because it shows true desperation. This quote refers to when Sam and Claire were getting out of town and how Claire decided to go back to the house. However before she even made it to the house, her legs 'faltered' and she lay motionless on the field. When Sam tried to go and get her the men of the quarantine pinned him and stuffed him back in his car, and instructed to leave. Sam was bewildered and tried to go out again to get his wife but was again pinned down and he felt like his car was underwater and he was drowning in it. I found this passage to be very powerful because it reveals true helplessness and how a man has to leave behind his potentially deceased wife because people won't let him get her. I thought about what Sam could have done or what I would do to get Claire, but when you think about it he really could do nothing and was helpless. Even though he is eventually reunited with Claire, I hope no one ever has to go through this type of traumatic of experience, because it is frightening to think about.
11/19/2014 Ian Crowley
"My days in this northern hole of Rochester were speechless and dark. I saw no sun, never felt the sky darken. No authentic sky prevailed in the Forsythe recovery wing, no windows through which the light might fail. Ruptured mattresses littered the floor, sleeping bags with the bottoms kicked through. A brittle pillow bore the facial welt of the last patient who slept here. A man’s work shirt had been chewed, swallowed, spit up in a glaze of bile."
Marcus, Ben (2012-01-17). The Flame Alphabet (Vintage Contemporaries) (p. 153). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
I chose this passage because I think it truly portrays the level of despair that comes along with apocalyptic events. The mood of this passage is very heavy and it really paint a picture of the societal anguish in the mind of the reader. Samuel is in the Forsythe recovery wing, however, the way he describes it isn't how one would expect. A recovery wing should be bright and hopeful, however, this one is sad and gloomy. This passage really illustrates the brokenness of society due to the disease. It not only paints a picture of Samuel suffering, but other individuals as well. Samuel points out all of the sleeping bags on the floor where people had slept before. There is even still the impression of a man's head on a pillow. When reading this passage I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Samuel, and even the unknown individuals who were there before him.
Marcus, Ben (2012-01-17). The Flame Alphabet (Vintage Contemporaries) (p. 153). Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
I chose this passage because I think it truly portrays the level of despair that comes along with apocalyptic events. The mood of this passage is very heavy and it really paint a picture of the societal anguish in the mind of the reader. Samuel is in the Forsythe recovery wing, however, the way he describes it isn't how one would expect. A recovery wing should be bright and hopeful, however, this one is sad and gloomy. This passage really illustrates the brokenness of society due to the disease. It not only paints a picture of Samuel suffering, but other individuals as well. Samuel points out all of the sleeping bags on the floor where people had slept before. There is even still the impression of a man's head on a pillow. When reading this passage I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Samuel, and even the unknown individuals who were there before him.
11/20/14 Cristal Kim
"Or perhaps, if I ever did develop a script that could be read without sickness, restoring language to our fine species, I wouldn't be so quick to share it with the good people of Forsythe.
Perhaps, such an invention, kept private, was just what I needed to find my leverage" (Ben Marcus The Flame Alphabet 172).
This passage helped illustrate how important language is; obviously, throughout this text, I realized how lightly we take language, but this excerpt further solidified that idea. The idea that you could withhold such information in such a starved environment is strange and menacing. In a society that has been reduced to almost nothing, people can still be selfish and manipulative, thinking of solely how to benefit themselves. And this can be achieved through the use of language. I never expected something so mundane in our everyday lives to be used for such great purposes. Yes, this novel made me think about the consequences and weight of my words, but I never thought they could be used as leverage against not just one person, but an entire society.
Perhaps, such an invention, kept private, was just what I needed to find my leverage" (Ben Marcus The Flame Alphabet 172).
This passage helped illustrate how important language is; obviously, throughout this text, I realized how lightly we take language, but this excerpt further solidified that idea. The idea that you could withhold such information in such a starved environment is strange and menacing. In a society that has been reduced to almost nothing, people can still be selfish and manipulative, thinking of solely how to benefit themselves. And this can be achieved through the use of language. I never expected something so mundane in our everyday lives to be used for such great purposes. Yes, this novel made me think about the consequences and weight of my words, but I never thought they could be used as leverage against not just one person, but an entire society.
Flame Alphabet Part 2
"These were the mercy tents. Inside people heard some last song, whatever they chose to dial up, and then down they went to those sounds. A strategy of acoustical expiration. Suicide by language. Mercy was right. The tents were clearly a kindness to those who remained. No one was forced in. On the contrary, people fought to get inside first. And when a funeral field had filled, the mercy tents were struck and dragged away. Audio equipment pulled alongside by wagon. A jukebox of words to die to" (179).
This passage struck me right away as something unthinkable. In this passage, two ideas combined together truly grabbed my attention. First off was the fact that these people would choose to die by listening to music. It seems unthinkable in a world that we live in today, which makes this book so much more creative. In today's world, music brings happiness and joy to so many people, and in The Flame Alphabet, the juxtaposition between being happy while listening to music as it slowly kills you is remarkable. Combine this with the second part, being that people would line up and rush to get into these suicide tents, and the outcome is truly appalling. The fact that people line up for their death shows the loss of hope in this society. It also illustrates the lack of enjoyment in life without human interaction through language. People are so lonely that they don't want to even live any longer and they decide to kill themselves by something that used to bring them so much joy, before it brought them so much pain. Overall, the juxtaposition between what sound is bringing now in the novel, compared to what it used to do before the disease outbreak began is remarkably contradicting, and its use in the novel makes the plotline even more interesting.
This passage struck me right away as something unthinkable. In this passage, two ideas combined together truly grabbed my attention. First off was the fact that these people would choose to die by listening to music. It seems unthinkable in a world that we live in today, which makes this book so much more creative. In today's world, music brings happiness and joy to so many people, and in The Flame Alphabet, the juxtaposition between being happy while listening to music as it slowly kills you is remarkable. Combine this with the second part, being that people would line up and rush to get into these suicide tents, and the outcome is truly appalling. The fact that people line up for their death shows the loss of hope in this society. It also illustrates the lack of enjoyment in life without human interaction through language. People are so lonely that they don't want to even live any longer and they decide to kill themselves by something that used to bring them so much joy, before it brought them so much pain. Overall, the juxtaposition between what sound is bringing now in the novel, compared to what it used to do before the disease outbreak began is remarkably contradicting, and its use in the novel makes the plotline even more interesting.
The Flame Alphabet Pt. 2
"I did my work and fed the material to the technicians, who came to my office with a bucket to collect what I'd done. That's what the work I gave them amounted to: slops. In the courtyard men and women fell unconsciousness, turned into gaze less creatures. Some of them were sick because of alphabets I made. I raised a sparse beard on my face and I learned to stare between the people I saw." (183)
I thought this passage really embodied how much an apocalyptic event can impact individuals. The tone of the passage was dull and lifeless, reflecting the nature of Sam and the "creatures." It was frightful how little emotion the subjects had. As a result, I thought it was appropriate and clever how the passage mentioned the men and women were turned into "gaze less creatures." The complexity of human motion is a well known trait that distinguishes humans from other animals. If people were to adopt emotionless states, what would set them apart from any other creature? Another part of the passage that intrigued me was the emotional distant enforced by Sam. I thought the last sentence was particularly powerful. This reminded me of Rabab's reference to people with depression and post traumatic stress disorder. All of Sam's traumatic and painful experiences had hardened him. The contrast between how he was in the beginning of the book and now is so different it's difficult to imagine that these two personas were ever the same person.
Flame Alphabet part 2
"As she got dressed and made her way out of my room, Marta looked at me plainly, as if she was curious, in the detached, scientific sense, why I would have any interest in hurting her. I'd seen that face before, and I hadn't realized it was a face that could be shared, used by more than one person, but it had appeared on Claire, and I had always thought that it was hers alone, to use only on those special occasions when I had disappointed her. But apparently this was a face that Marta had access to as well."
As I was looking at others' blog posts, I did notice that I picked the same passage as Alex, however, I had a few other reasons for picking this passage. Alex pointed out that Marcus has this way of describing scenes and feelings in a way that really puts you in the story, and I agree with this wholeheartedly. However, the main reason I picked this passage was because I think it reflects on relationships, and the way people view their partners. Sam sees Marta giving her this look, and he's surprised by the fact that it's the same as a look that Claire has given him, and that they can make the same facial expression in response to what he's done. I feel like a lot of times, when we have a relationship with someone, whether it's a friend or a significant other, we want that person for ourselves, and think that the way they act is special to your relationship and no one else can mimic it. This isn't true of course-- we're all much more similar than we think in respect to our body language and facial expressions, and this passage exemplifies that. It's a very truthful passage.
As I was looking at others' blog posts, I did notice that I picked the same passage as Alex, however, I had a few other reasons for picking this passage. Alex pointed out that Marcus has this way of describing scenes and feelings in a way that really puts you in the story, and I agree with this wholeheartedly. However, the main reason I picked this passage was because I think it reflects on relationships, and the way people view their partners. Sam sees Marta giving her this look, and he's surprised by the fact that it's the same as a look that Claire has given him, and that they can make the same facial expression in response to what he's done. I feel like a lot of times, when we have a relationship with someone, whether it's a friend or a significant other, we want that person for ourselves, and think that the way they act is special to your relationship and no one else can mimic it. This isn't true of course-- we're all much more similar than we think in respect to our body language and facial expressions, and this passage exemplifies that. It's a very truthful passage.
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