The Graphic Novels Influence on the People’s Minds

People want to spread their messages and share the meaning and importance of certain things with as many other people as possible. In today’s society, with the ample amount of multimedia available along with writing, this is easy to do. But what grabs another person’s attention in this scenario? Images typically do the trick. Graphic novels are not nearly as popular as they used to be, but they are still alive and thriving. The unique use of images and text in a graphic novel can change the reader’s perception of the meaning drastically. “Teapot Therapy” by A.J. Poyiadgi is a graphic novel that uses the layout, figures, and text to describe a woman who is lonely but also befriended.

Pam Watts writes in her article, Graphic Novels Offer Diverse Perspectives, Narratives, “Setting, pacing, and story structure is largely the same, but the units used to tell the story to differ.” The way the panels are sized, colored, and arranged help the reader understand the meaning or hidden message of the graphic novel. Watts also writes, “The narrative of a graphic novel is carried by images instead of words.”

Some of the images used in “Teapot Therapy” do not contain text. Yet, without these images, the meaning and story of the graphic novel would not be the same. Watts also mentions in her article that “Words can be either dialogue or narration.” The importance of the text placed with the images in the graphic novel cannot be stressed enough. The external dialogue between the two characters displays the conversation between the characters. The internal dialogue gives the reader a sense of how the character feels and what he or she is thinking about themselves.

The images throughout the graphic novel suggest she was once married. It can be inferred that her husband has passed away and that now Mrs. Peartree is lonely. The inside of the woman’s home is shown in some of these images. These images contain photos of Mrs. Peartree and her husband hanging on her wall and show how important he was to her. Mrs. Peartree desperately feels the need for communication with others and wants to have company. Another character in “Teapot Therapy” is a man who is left unnamed. The man has been called upon by Mrs. Peartree to fix the boiler in her home. The young man is very polite and gives Mrs. Peartree company for a little while. Mrs. Peartree’s mood changes drastically from the time the young man arrives to when the man leaves. While he is there, and she is able to enjoy his company, Mrs. Peartree seems happy and content. Although, upon his departure, she returns to feeling lonely and sad.

The internal dialogue in the graphic novel shows the reader the hidden messages and themes throughout the comic. This is supported when Mrs. Peartree states, “I still love making an effort. All the trimmings. Most important meal of the day, you’d say.” Mrs. Peartree continues with her daily routine regardless of her loneliness. Mrs. Peartree states, in internal dialogue, “I still see your face. All over the place.” This comment in the graphic novel displays how much she misses her husband and his company. She shows the reader that it is important to enjoy the little things in life. The internal dialogue by Mrs. Peartree also gives the reader a sense of how important tea time is to her and how much she cherishes this time every day.

Internal dialogue is very important in the graphic novel again when the author notes, “The missing part is in the cutlery drawer.” This is specifically important because this missing piece is the source of her boiler’s problem. Mrs. Peartree has removed this piece intentionally. She had done this so that she had a reason to continue calling someone out to fix her boiler. By having someone come out to fix it for her, she has someone to keep her company for a little while and has tea time with her. Without this internal dialogue, the reader would not know the reason why Mrs. Peartree needs her boiler fixed continuously.

Graphic novels are also known as comics. Text and images are equally important in telling their story. Comics are not only enjoyed by children but also by adults. The images draw the reader’s attention, and the text gives the reader the necessary information to understand the meaning and message of the graphic novel.

Works Cited

1. Poyiadgi, A.J. “Teapot Therapy.” “Short Graphic Stories.” Google Sites n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.
2. Watts, Pam. “Graphic Novels Offer Diverse Perspectives, Narratives.” Education Digest 81.2 (2015):38–41. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Apr. 2016.

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