University Graphic Novel Assignment: Gun Control Debate

This assignment is a creative exploration of gun control presented in a graphic novel format, fulfilling the requirements of the LITT11234G course. The student's work delves into the complexities of gun control, potentially depicting a school shooting scenario to highlight the issue's global relevance. The novel aims for visual realism and could incorporate elements of urban settings to deepen the narrative. The assignment references concepts learned in class, including the use of time, motion, and various transition styles, demonstrating the student's understanding of graphic novel techniques. The essay concludes that gun control is a suitable topic for a graphic novel, offering a universal appeal. References are included to support the student's arguments and creative choices.

Running Head: A GRAPHIC NOVEL
A Graphic Novel
Name of Student
Name of University
Author Note

1A GRAPHIC NOVEL
A graphic novel is a book that is presented in a comic strip format. Novel means long
fictional works and that are presented in a book, but a graphic novel is when a big novel in comic
strip format (Brenna, 2013). A graphic novel can be both non-fiction and fiction. There are
graphic novel that give detailed account a real war or something that has occurred in the real
world, it can also be fiction where the novel is entirely about a story that has been created by the
author (Sabeti, 2013). This essay will talk a topic that will potentially be a good graphic novel.
An issue that can be made into a fictional graphic novel is the issue of gun control. One
of the burning issues in America today is the issue of gun control (Steidley & Colen, 2014).
There have been plenty of cases where a student has carried a gun to the school and has opened
fire inside the school killing and injuring a number of students in the school. This issue has a
debate around it; the discussion is focused in the area whether there should be a proper gun
control law in all states of the world (Blocher, 2014). There are people that believe that guns
should only be used by those above the age of 18years and who has the permission to use a gun.
According to these people who believe that gun control should be used in every country, they
justify their stand by saying that people who do not have the maturity to understand the potential
ill-effect of a gun, they might use it without knowing and this might end up hurting a lot of
people.
A graphic novel can be developed on this issue of gun control. A detailed account of a
school shooting can be given, the location can be fictional or can be in any state of the United
States of America or anywhere in the world because is topic is relevant all across the globe and
not limited to the country of America (O’Brien et al., 2013). The novel will be visually very
realistic otherwise there will not be any impact on the audience. Like the 1970 television series
Mccloud, this novel can also center on the city and novel could use the city as an element of the

2A GRAPHIC NOVEL
novel (LoBrutto, 2018). The shootings that will be shown in the novel can be related to the city,
it could be because of the dilapidated nature of the city that leads the children to carry gun to
their school. Or it can be because of the mental trauma that they have seen in the childhood that
they and want to protect themselves so they carry a gun.
This essay concludes that the issue of gun control can be a good issue that can be
depicted in a graphic novel; the issue is global and can be associated with any country. The novel
will have a universal appeal as everyone from a young adult to a grown-up can relate to the
issue.

3A GRAPHIC NOVEL
References
Blocher, J. (2014). Gun Rights Talk. BUL Rev., 94, 813.
Brenna, B. (2013). How graphic novels support reading comprehension strategy development in
children. Literacy, 47(2), 88-94.
LoBrutto, V. (2018). TV in the USA: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [3 volumes]. ABC-
CLIO.
O’Brien, K., Forrest, W., Lynott, D., & Daly, M. (2013). Racism, gun ownership and gun
control: Biased attitudes in US whites may influence policy decisions. PloS one, 8(10),
e77552.
Sabeti, S. (2013). ‘A different kind of reading’: the emergent literacy practices of a school‐based
graphic novel club. British Educational Research Journal, 39(5), 835-852.
Steidley, T., & Colen, C. G. (2017). Framing the gun control debate: press releases and framing
strategies of the National Rifle Association and the Brady Campaign. Social Science
Quarterly, 98(2), 608-627.