A.D New Orleans After the Duluge was a very strong comic. The detail that was done and the thought process of how it was created was really amazing. There were multiple parts that stood out to me but there were three that stood out greater than the rest. First the picture that really stood out to me was on page 225, this picture was of a man holding his child up trying to get someone to notice that he needs help. This picture is the same color as all the rest and the same style of drawing. However this drawing was the first not in the standard comic box. It felt as if the picture was jumping out at me as the reader. I think this picture was to represent that those stranded were crying out to help to whomever could hear them. The image trying to scream though the page. A second portion that really stood out to me was the thugs, pulling together and trying to do the greater good for the group. They were the ones who declared that the elderly get on the bus first followed by the women and children. They were scarifying themselves to do what was best for the group. The raided a store but not to benefit themselves but to pass out the goods to the group. Lastly, an image that really caught my eye was on the last page, it was the image of the Ms. Williams who had died in her chair and left behind. You can still see her in her chair in the background which I think was to let the reader know that there really was no place for safety, no place for the dead, no place for an escape from the nightmare they were going though.
As for patterns there were a few with the comic. The constant replay of images where the people are sweating. It shows that there was no escape from the elements. They were just left to hope for survival. There is a picture of a women with short hair and glasses that is constantly coming up in the comic. She look mad and very understandably upset in every picture. This sets the tone for how the article is to be perceived. There is also an image on page 229 of a mother with her child in her lap. The first image the mother looks tired and is unable to comfort her daughter. The daughter look exhausted, sweaty and seems to maybe be crying. Directly below this picture there is another one with the same to character with the same emotions. This show me that this wasn't an emotion in an hour of discomfort, but rather that the emotions continued like a broken record. All of the images are in black in white or sepia to be more specific. The color tone of the images show that it wasn't a happy time and the people were filled with sorrow. The overall tone of the comic is dark and very masculine. The women in the pictures do not seem to be sitting back and are also speaking their voice. The pictures where to women are yelling, smoking, drinking beer seem to put off a hard exterior, possibly a survival front to help them get though.
An image that did not stand out to me in great deal but is worth mentioning is an image of the police driving by. They seemed to be clean and comfortable in their car. From what i gather from the text, they are just driving by repeating the same message and not contributing to the overall well being of the people who are struggling. I feel maybe there wasn't must they could do with such a large crowd is no buses were really coming. But they instead of trying to help, act more as a crowd control like it was an event.
I love your comment that "I think this picture was to represent that those stranded were crying out to help to whomever could hear them. The image trying to scream though the page." That is such a beautiful way to describe the image and Josh Neufeld's strategy in placing that man with a baby on the page all alone. I also notice your observation that "there was no place for the dead." Along with food, water, sanitation, and healthcare, another sign of a "civilized" society is a dignified burial ritual. But here, this is just one more basic human element that the Superdome inhabitants are lacking: a restful place to say goodbye to their dead. In your observations, I see you forming an argument about how Neufeld uses these tragic examples (the desperate man with a baby, the dying woman, etc.) to show his readers, maybe, that they don't fully understand what happened to those people, so maybe Neufeld wants to create understanding and empathy?
ReplyDeleteI also think the way you frame the binary of escape vs. captivity (?) is an interesting point. You mention escape twice in your post, so perhaps it will be helpful to think more about how Neufeld frames the possibility of escape in contrast to the many victims who are trapped, stuck, or captive in the Superdome.
The fact the the police driving by DID NOT stand out to you is something worth taking note of. It's interesting that you say they are just "repeating" this message. In a way, it's like Neufeld wanted you to think that. He wanted you to see the policemen as useless non-factors or empty "symbols" of authority that just repeat without being meaningful?
All in all, you've compiled a stellar list of observations here. The themes I see are emotion, desperation, desire to escape, and the idea of voices not being heard. Sounds like the start of a great paper.