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Lesson 1 (from Chapter 1)

Objective

The first chapter introduces us to Spiegelman and also to his style of writing and drawing. This lesson discusses Spiegelman’s cartoon style, for how it reveals his strategies for using language and images to convey meaning.

Lesson

1. Close Reading: Read the first few paragraphs, and analyze the writing style. How does Spiegelman write? What kinds of words does he use? How are his sentences structured? How would you describe his drawing? What kind of tone does it create for the book?

2. Small Group Discussion: Ask students to work together in small groups to characterize Spiegelman’s style. When or how does he vary from that cadence? What does he lay emphasis on when he varies from his typical sentences? Where does he lay the emphasis when he departs from realistic description in his drawings? Ask each group to report back to the class after some...

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