Graphic Novels as Literature

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Key facts

UNE unit code: ENGL508

*You are viewing the 2027 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.

Start

Trimester 3 - Online

24/7 online support

Intensive schools

Supervised exam

Credit points

UNE student studies on a laptop on her lounge at home

There are many diverse narratives in literature and the graphic novel is an increasingly important literary form. The study of graphic novels builds directly on the key concepts studied elsewhere in English Literature Studies, such as genre and canon formation.

In this unit you will develop the skills to read in new ways and examine the definitions and history of long-length graphic novels for adults. You will explore how the verbal and non-verbal work together and be encouraged to look at how identity, history, politics, and culture are presented and portrayed in diverse narratives.

You will explore texts that define and redefine the genre from the 1980s until now, with attention to specific subgenres, such as memoir, fantasy, superhero, manga and ‘bande dessinée’.

Offerings

Teaching period	Mode/location
Trimester 3	Online

*Offering is subject to availability

Intensive schools

There are no intensive schools required for this unit.

Enrolment rules

Pre-requisites

candidature in a postgraduate award

Restrictions

ENGL308

Combined units

ENGL308 Graphic Novels as Literature

Notes

Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.

Unit coordinator(s)

Natalia TobinLecturer in English - Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education; School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:

independently identify and engage with advanced methods of literary and sequential art criticism to critically analyse graphic novels;
demonstrate highly developed capacity to distinguish and categorise the recurring thematic and formal features of the graphic novel;
critically evaluate the strategies and mechanisms of established conventions within different sub-genres of sequential art and also recognise detailed ways in which graphic novels depart from those conventions;
analyse in depth the cultural and theoretical contexts that each graphic novel speaks to and from;
integrate advanced understanding of a wide range of theoretical perspectives to the study of the graphic novel, and the development of narrative theory and sequential art culture; and
formulate critical interpretation of representative graphic novels and their contexts by applying advanced reading, communication, and research skills.

Assessment information

Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.

Title	Must Complete	Weight	Offerings	Assessment Notes
Essay with Process Portfolio and Oral Verification - Assurance Task 1	Yes	50%	All offerings	Three-part assessment task: Consisting of an essay, a process portfolio of essay development materials, and an oral verification (twenty minutes (approx.)). To pass this unit, you must achieve a minimum cumulative total of 50% across Assurance Task 1 and Assurance Task 2, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. No. Words: 3750 (equivalent)
Online Quiz	Yes	10%	All offerings	No. Words: 500 (equivalent)
Written Task with Process Portfolio and Oral Verification - Assurance Task 2	Yes	40%	All offerings	Three-part assessment task: Consisting of a written task, a process portfolio of development materials, and an oral verification (fifteen minutes (approx.)). To pass this unit, you must achieve a minimum cumulative total of 50% across Assurance Task 1 and Assurance Task 2, and meet all other passing requirements in the unit. No. Words: 2750 (equivalent)

Learning resources

Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.

Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.