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Title "Voice Markers in Jurevicius’s Wordless Graphic Novel: A Multimodal Analysis"

Author(s) Syeda Meher un Nisa

Abstract The present study attempts to identify the voice markers used by the writer in the wordless graphic novel The Adventures of Scarygirl. This wordless graphic novel is written by Nathan Jurevicius (2009). The selected graphic novel is quite unusual and unique because it does not contain words. The narrator employs certain significant voice markers to enable the readers to decode the wordless graphics effectively. Content, subjective and pragmatic voice markers embedded in the graphic novel pave way for better understanding of the visuals given in the selected novel. For this purpose, Jahn’s theory of voice markers (2021) has been applied to the selected visuals to make sense of the overall plot and major characters of the story. According to Jahn (2021), voice markers or signal markers function as effective cues to guide the readers during the reading process. In the selected graphic novel, content matter, subjective expression and pragmatic signals serve as effective voice markers. The application of Kress and Leeuwen’s theory of visual grammar (2006) further facilitates in identifying the voice markers and their functions in the narrative. Visual analysis as a research method brings to fore the importance of the afore-mentioned voice markers in the novel. The visual analysis of the represented participants, color, framing, gaze, social distance and angle highlights the role of these voice markers in the selected wordless graphic novel. It clearly highlights the fact that the content matter as a voice marker plays a crucial role in conveying essential information about the setting, atmosphere and characters. The meticulous use of colors reflects the narrator’s perception towards life. The variation in the sizes of visuals also points towards important developments within the story in general and the narrator’s personality in particular. In most of the selected visuals, the gaze of the represented participants is directed towards each other which either strengthens or weakens the relationship between them. Moreover, the social distance created by the narrator helps the readers in positioning themselves in the visuals. The readers are dependent upon these voice markers to explore the narrative accordingly. This research study is insightful as it provides access to the implicit underlying stories embedded within the wordless visuals. The voice markers are in, in fact, the cues that enable readers to understand the basic framework of the story and the development of the characters.

Type Thesis/Dissertation

Faculty Languages

Department English

Language English

Publication Date 2024-09-27

Subject Linguistics

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