Copy of The graphic representation of emotions, balloonics and lettering in the graphic novel “The Metamorphosis”

Gregor

Character's emotions. Analysis

Throughout the whole novel we can witness how the characters live in misery, enhancing their own pessimistic lifestyle ever since Gregor appeared as a monster one

unfortunate morning. All these is expressed through negative emotions.

What are comics?

"Story content in the mainstream book (that) runs around twenty-two to twenty- three pages, though the actual length of a book can be longer depending on how many ads it contains. The number of pages in a monthly book, or any comic format, is also determined by the number of pages that are printed per sheet" (Marx, 2007, p.85)

What are graphic novels?

What is the difference?

The difference between these two types lies in the format. Comics are focused on young people and have humorous touches whereas graphic novels uses a more formal format and have a narrative work. Comics' story might not have and immediate ending in about 100 pages but rather develops a story throughout many comics whereas graphic novels do have an ending in 100 pages or so.

"A graphic novel or trade paperback can vary in size and length, but it tends to be roughly the same length and height dimensions as a monthly book. They are perfect bound rather than stapled, meaning they have a square spine and the pages are glued to the spine, with a thick stock for the cover. The story might run a hundred pages or so. Usually they have high-quality paper, coloring, and printing because they are higher priced and treated more like a book than a magazine" (Marx, 2007, p. 85)

The graphic

representation of

emotions, balloonics and

lettering in the graphic

novel "The Metamorphosis"

Comics and graphic novels devices

Comics and graphic novels use different features to provoke an "aesthetic response in the viewer" (Pinar, 2012, p. 1), or, in other words, it looks for an emotional response in the viewer according to the feelings of the characters.

Letterings and balloonics also play an important role in terms of devices. These two features carry significance as long as they are out of the ordinary. A balloon drawn wavy expresses thought; a lettering drawn erratically expresses instability, among others.

It must be clear that images and lettering can work on their own also but rather express a complete meaning when together.

Balloonics

Within lettering

• "Balloons forms usually convey information about the emotions and states of mind of the persons to which they are tailed." (Forceville, Veale and Feyaerts, 2010, p. 58).
• Balloonics can be depicted in many forms: wavy, jagged, squared, erratically or wobbly (Chiarello and Klein, 2004, p. 92) as to express the character's emotions: surprise, a thought, a scream, sternness and so on.
• Balloons usually contain words, they define the course of speaking.
• Within balloons we can find another device: lettering. Lettering is the format that is given to any kind of written style, that is to say, the "anatomy" of writing. It can be either calm, severe, hesitating and so on.

Fonts can also depict feelings, a character might be yelling or enhancing the importance of a word if it is written in bold or in italics. These are the two most important devices in fonts. As an example, think of the image of Uncle Sam, who points at the reader and where you can read: "I WANT YOU FOR THE U.S. ARMY", enhancing the usefulness of the word "you", catching the reader's attention.