Sample Essay Tma 2.pdf

S.A Sharma Devata Priti ELT381 16th October, 2018 TMA 02 Much like novels, graphic novels have struggled to gain approbation and respect from literary critics in its infancy. Since they utilize graphics along with text to recount a narrative, many think that the genre is meant for children or “lazy readers” (Hansen 58). However, in “Graphic novels for multiple literacies”, Gretchen E. Schwarz contends that graphic novels explore topics that readers “might otherwise never consider and help them imagine history” (263). Schwarz is suggesting that the images in these novels supplement the text in illustrating the landscape, the emotional state of the characters, and the book’s thematic ideas. This is evident in the graphic novels Ten Sticks and One Rice and Myth of the Stone, where the illustrations in Oh Yong Hwee’s novel help the reader envisage life in Singapore for a traditional Chinese family, while the visuals in Gwee Li Sui’s novel help bring to life a fantastical world with mythical creatures. While the two novels differ starkly in their setting, plot, and characters, they explore similar subjects such as friendship and morality. Both novels demonstrate the merits of friendship in times of hardship and illustrate how dangerous moral certainty and moral equivocation can be. The two graphic novels show how beneficial genuine friendships can be in dire situations. We see this in Maudus and Li-Hsu’s friendship in Myth of the Stone and the triad’s brotherhood in Ten Sticks and One Rice. In Myth of the Stone, Maudus constantly saves Li-Hsu from danger because of his love for the boy. When

the goblins and ogres capture Li-Hsu, Maudus appears, claiming he will bring Merlions to take Li-Hsu across the waters (Gwee 60). This desire to help Li-Hsu in perilous situations without being called upon exemplifies the altruistic nature of their relationship. Moreover, the fact that Maudus appears as a hooded figure shows that his commitment to saving Li-Hsu comes from a place of benevolence, not from a desire to be glorified as a saviour. Later in the narrative, we see the true depths of Maudus’s benignity when Ourhimun captures and tortures Li-Hsu (68); under Ourhimun’s power, Li-Hsu impales Maudus’s heart. As Li-Hsu rightly observes, Maudus “could have moved” (72), but he allowed himself to be sacrificed so Li-Hsu could turn back into a human. Even though Maudus is later resurrected, the pain he endures for his friend’s sake exemplifies his selflessness towards Li-Hsu. The illustration of Maudus’s death here takes up a whole page, accentuating the magnitude of his sacrifice (71). It also shows the pain Maudus goes through when he is impaled by the mighty Macheleah. The altruism Maudus exhibits here and throughout the narrative demonstrates the merits of friendship in vulnerable situations. Similarly, in Ten Sticks and One Rice, Hock Seng’s dedication towards taking care of Siew Huei shows how valuable friendships can be in troubled times. When Peng dies, he implores Boon Shan and Hock Seng to take care of his wife, Siew Huei (Oh 81). The panel here which exhibits Peng’s death in Image 6 (81) is partly suffused with black blood, spilling over to the next page where Hock Seng visits Siew Huei. The black colours here signal a dark period for both the triad and Siew Huei. Furthermore, Siew Huei’s doleful countenance (82) in Image 3 aids the text in illustrating the pain she is going through. It is then made known to the reader that Hock Seng visits Siew Huei every month to give her money (82). The illustrations of Peng’s death and Siew Huei’s mournful state magnify the enormity of

Hock Seng’s generosity. He also steals some of the gambling collections just to pay Siew Huei, incurring the wrath of Boon Shan in the process (83). This shows that he prioritizes his duty to Siew Huei over his work with Boon Shan. He helps to fill the financial void left by Peng, making life a little easier for Siew Huei in a time of distress. Even though his generosity seems to stem from a sense of duty and brotherhood as opposed to Maudus’s pure benevolence, it still shows how beneficial friendships can be in the face of adversity. Both graphic novels also demonstrate that both moral certainty and moral equivocation can be problematic. In Myth of the Stone, Li-Hsu struggles to take a moral stand because of his self-doubt. At the beginning of the book, Li-Hsu opens the crock despite “the voice” (Gwee 9) telling him not to. The crock here functions as a biblical temptation, much like the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden; it is a test of one’s moral allegiance. By ignoring the voice of conscience, Li-Hsu is not only being morally equivocal, he is aligning himself with Ourhimun who represents evil. As Keagga asserts, “everyone must choose… between Maudus and Ourhimun, freedom and slavery…” (10). This is further evidenced by the fact that Li-Hsu becomes a “darkling” (9) and a slave under Ourhimun’s rule (33) after opening the crock. He hasn’t actively chosen Ourhimun , but in disregarding the goodness of Maudus, he is still pledging himself to the side of evil. Additionally, when Ourhimun advances to steal the column in the Great War, Li-Hsu panics and runs away (53). Once again, instead of aligning himself with Maudus to fight Ourhimun, Li-Hsu runs away, avoiding the moral choice. He then falls into a pit of darkness. In this scene, all the panels have a black background (54-55). This not only illustrates the darkness of the abyss but also symbolises the moral darkness that Li-Hsu has fallen into because of his weakness and ambivalence. His moral equivocation throughout the

narrative eventually leads to the climactic death of Maudus, which represents the death of goodness; his moral ambivalence led to the triumph of evil over goodness. This danger of moral equivocation is further exemplified by the Kappas. As Keagga describes, the Kappas have not chosen Ourhimun or Maudus (25). This leads to a preoccupation with one’s selfish desires, demonstrated by the monstrous and voracious manner in which they hunt Li-Hsu. The Kappas are willing to be unethical in pursuit of their needs because they have no moral boundaries to prevent them from such misdeeds. These examples demonstrate how moral ambivalence can be dangerous; avoiding the ethical choice will eventually lead one to wickedness. In a similar vein, Hock Seng’s moral certitude demonstrates that being certain in one’s moral convictions can be just as problematic. Towards the end of the narrative, Hock Seng verbalizes his thoughts to a religious sculpture; he wonders why he has cancer when he has “done good all [his] life” (Oh 113). He cites instances in his life where he believes he has performed good deeds, such as taking care of his family, Peng’s wife, and his biological mother (113). While he did take good care of Siew Huei and his biological mother, the same can’t be said of his wife. Hock Seng is verbally abusive towards Bee Choo throughout their marriage. He constantly abuses her with insults and vulgarities; he calls her “stupid” when she tells his friends about his cancer (3), and uses the vulgarity “Kan-nin-nah” on her because she couldn’t handle as many satay sticks as he could (97). These instances exemplify his callous and disparaging treatment towards his wife. Moreover, his disdain for his wife is further emphasized through illustration. When Hock Seng chides Bee Choo for revealing his terminal illness, he looks at her with contempt in Image 3 (4). In addition, when he scolds Bee Choo for not watching the fire on the grill, a puff of smoke is drawn just above his head in Image 1 (9), indicating his anger with Bee Choo. Bee Choo’s

haggard expression in Image 3 (9) is further evidence of this abuse and hardship in their marriage and work. Hock Seng’s belief in his own moral goodness only demonstrates the dangers of moral certainty; if we let our moral certainty cloud our moral judgement, we will fail to recognize our immoral actions and continue to mistreat or even harm those around us. Therefore, both graphic novels illustrate how moral equivocation and moral certainty can be problematic and dangerous. While these two stories are based in historical or unfamiliar settings, they resonate with the reader because of their relatable thematic connotations; both graphic novels demonstrate how valuable friendships can be in distressing and even deadly situations. Friendships can sometimes be stronger than familial bonds, as seen in Ten Sticks and One Rice. It can also come from a place of altruism, without the expectation of reciprocity as depicted in Myth of the Stone. Furthermore, both novels exemplify the problematic nature of moral equivocation and moral certainty. Moral equivocation will lead to solipsism, a morally unrestrained state which engenders wickedness. Similarly, moral certainty will obscure one’s moral judgement, leading to an inability to recognize one’s immoralities. (1471 words)

Works Cited Gwee, Li Sui. Myth of the Stone. Epigram Books, 2013. Hansen, Kathryn Strong. “In Defense of Graphic Novels.” The English Journal, vol. 102, no. 2, 2012, pp. 57–63. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/23365398. Oh, Yong Hwee, and Hong Teng Koh. Ten Sticks and One Rice. Epigram Books, 2012. Schwarz, Gretchen E. “Graphic Novels for Multiple Literacies.” Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy., vol. 46, no. 3, Nov. 2003, pp. 262–265. Singapore University of Social Sciences, canvas.suss.edu.sg/courses/10478/files/2214019?module_item_id=161968.