Intrusion of Doubt

Caroline CampbellDr. Nicole duPlessisENGL 360-50031 January 2017Response Paper 1, Option 4: The Intrusion of DoubtWhen writing a graphic novel, the author has chosen a fascinating medium that allows forthe implementation of both text and images to portray their story to the audience. Thus, when “analyzing a scene or notable moment” it is crucial to interpret both forms the author is using to communicate and note how they interact with each other. For instance, the children’s graphic novel Zita The Spacegirl by Ben Hatke has a scene in which the protagonist Zita finally reaches a point in her journey where her task seems too overwhelming to accomplish, experiencing a fundamental change in tone where the rest of the novel has been optimistic and hopeful of rescuing Joseph. The author concludes the page with the dialogue “Now do you understand how difficult this really is?” and the audience turns the page to find both pages filled entirely with the image of a foreboding castle, the only text being “Even with the help of your new friends, it’s almost hopeless” (Hatke 105-107). This scene is important to the novel in that it challenges the seemingly endless confidence Zita experiences on her journey, introducing the more “adult-like” way of thinking that fills the audience with sudden doubt. The use of the full spread image that goes beyond the borders that frame the majority of the novel allows for Hatke to fully express the tension of the situation. Adult readers probably experienced doubts in Zita’s adventure beforethis point in the novel, but Hatke’s intended audience of children probably needed the older

figure of Piper to express the worries more often experienced by adults. Zita’s response is to exclaim that they still must try to rescue Joseph, but then asking “Don’t we?” (Hatke 108). Because Zita is a symbol of confidence and courageousness, this scene of weakness is significantin that the actions that she performs next will demonstrate to the audience how to react in moments of hopelessness and doubt.

Works CitedHatke, Ben. Zita The Spacegirl. New York: First Second, 2011. Print.

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