Specific Reflection And General Solicitude

Critics used to regard the graphic novel as subordinate to classic literature because the medium relies heavily on visual art. However, after the award of Pulitzer Prize to Maus in 1992, this medium has been legitimized and validated in ways beyond imagination. In addition, this form suits the contemporary age because of its appeal to our newly established fast rhythm of acquisition, as well as its unique and comforting combination of the qualities of both text and picture. For these reasons, the criticisms are becoming broader and more complex; yet, related studies are still rare in China.Based on the previous scholars'researches, this study focuses on the comparison of Nobel Prize-winner Doris Lessing's Playing the Game published in 1995 and Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus. Playing the Game tells a story of the protagonists'quest for a dream land. Maus recounts the experiences of Art's father in Auschwitz and the difficult interpersonal relationship which can manifest between Holocaust survivors and their children. Both novels were published in the late 20th century, covering many common motifs. Yet, their themes and attitude towards these motifs turn out to be quite different. In spite of the common features in Playing the Game and Maus, the authors'different narrative style and the concerns are embodied in the different narrative strategies.This thesis is divided into four parts. Chapter One gives a brief introduction to the graphic novel in general, Doris Lessing and her Playing the Game, and Art Spiegelman and his Maus, including the literature reviews on them at home and abroad, as well as the purpose and the structure of the study. Chapter Two introduces the multimodal narration of the graphic novel which contains both literal and pictorial dimensions, and illustrates these two dimensions and the relationship between them. Chapter Three is the core part in this thesis. Here, on the basis of the narrative features introduced previously, the comparative study begins to unfold. Firstly, a discussion on the similarities between these two graphic novels involving motifs and narrative tactics serves as the ground for the further analysis on their different narrative strategies and themes. Then, the different narrative strategies in Playing the Game and Maus are analyzed from literal and pictorial dimension. At last, the different temporal scheme is illustrated by combining the literal and pictorial narrative. Through the analysis of the differences, the possibility for the interpretation of the narrative style and the concerns of the two graphic novels will be provided. Chapter Four is the conclusion. In Maus, Art Spiegelman depicts the cruelty of the World War II and the trauma passed down from the survival generation. He lets the past time intrude into the present, and makes reflection in his present life. By narrating the issues like World War II and the Nazis'racial holocaust in the form of the graphic novel, Maus gains sensational success. In Playing the Game, also choosing the motif of war, racial issue, etc, Lessing does not situate them in any specific historical period, which makes greater demand for the reader's involvement. Lessing sees these social issues as the result of the evolvement of human society, and expresses her general concern and her desire for racial and cultural amalgamation.Whether the reflection on specific events or the general concern about human beings, Lessing and Spiegelman's adoption of the form of the graphic novel not only provides a new way for the writers in their creation, but also offers a new reading experience for those readers reluctant to read long-volumes of printed text.