NARRATIVE GRIFFONAGE AS A TECHNIQUE OF GRAPHIC NARRATIVES’ CREATION

Abstract

The research focuses on the analysis of the specificity of construing graphic narratives, addressed to a childreader. Theoretically and methodologically this research is grounded on works in the field of classical and multimodal narratology, as well as on theoretical and practical works, which focus on literary texts for children. We assume that graphic narrative is a literary text, created verbally and non-verbally, which conveys a story about some event, going on in fiction time and space, and is represented by a narrator via point of view of a child-focaliser. We consider that verbal means of creating a story embrace the text itself, as well as to non-verbal means we refer pictures, typographic, different size and type of print, a play with the layout, arrows and different signs. A case study of the research is a graphic narrative “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”, authored by an American writer and computer games creator Jeff Kinney, and a graphic narrative “Tom Gates. Biscuits, Bands and very big Plans”, written by an English writer Liz Pichon. Graphic narratives are shaped as diaries, being written by teenagers Greg and Tom. The specificity of the graphic narrative makes its unique technique of creation, which we qualify as narrative griffonage. Narrative griffonage – is a technique of verbal and non-verbal narrative construing. One of its peculiarities is its visual look, which resembles sketches/rough drawing of a child, and the letters type as if imitates a child/teenager handwriting. The narrator and the focaliser of the analyzed narratives are Greg and Tom. Graphic signs, pictures, page layout become graphic means of creation focaliser’s point of view. Graphic means of creating visual imagery, like visual metonymy have been revealed. The role of pictures in sense-making and narrative creation has also been highlighted.