The author analyzes the narrative techniques used in their graphic narrative adaptation of "The Three Little Pigs". They explain that the narrative is linear to follow a timeline, closed with resolution of the conflict, and has multiple strands by including rabbits and a fox as main characters. It is also anti-realist by depicting animals that can speak and build houses. Key narrative components are the conflict between rabbits and fox with resolution, and climaxes that build relief. Time and space are manipulated for pacing but opening and enigma are not used to be suitable for children, mirroring the original story. Sticking to the original story's techniques helps remake it faithfully while varying the version.
1. Evaluation of Graphic Narrative
In my graphic narrative I used many different narrative techniques
and I also did not use some, the reasons will follow…
My graphic narrative is linear, this is because the events that take place
in my book would have to be in time order otherwise my story would not
make sense and the storyline would not work correctly or even exist. I
also kept it linear because I made a different version of ‘The Three Little
Pigs’, which was also linear; this was done so it was easier to
understand for the children, so I stuck to existing literature techniques.
My graphic narrative is also a closed narrative because the fox in the
end is captured, although it doesn’t mention the fact that he is killed, but
because it is a children’s book we spare them the details they do not
need to know, so all they need to know is that the fox is taken away
from the people who were at threat by it, so there is resolution, which is
also like the original narrative, although in the original the wolf is boiled
alive, although there is no telling the children that the wolf dies. So
again it is sparing the details that the children do not need to know, all
they know is the ‘baddie’ was not able to cause trouble anymore.
I would say my narrative has multiple strands because there isn’t just
one main character; the rabbits and the fox are all the main characters.
And in theory there isn’t one good hero/good person in the end, there is
the third little rabbit and the hunter. Similarly, in ‘The Three Little Pigs’ it
is the three pigs and the wolf, which are the main characters.
I also think my narrative is anti-realist, this is quite clear as to why;
because rabbits do not build their own houses, or speak, nor does a fox.
Narrative components…
In my graphic narrative one of the narrative components I used was
conflict, this was between the rabbits and the fox, but there was
resolution – the fox was captured.
‘The Three Little Pigs’ was the same – the conflict was the pigs and the
wolf, and the resolution was the fox was boiled.
The climax in my narrative I would say was page 8 where the fox breaks
the door down and everyone expects the third rabbit to be doomed, but
it seems it has escaped which was a sense of relief - making readers
get that sense of emotion.
Similarly, the climax in ‘The Three Little Pigs’ I would say was when the
wolf was coming down the chimney, because the pigs weren’t 100%
certain their plan would work, but it did, so again that sense of relief.
2. In my narrative I use manipulation of time and space by skipping scenes
and steps of the characters, I do this because if we saw every
movement of how the characters got to different places it would be very
boring. The same time and space manipulation is used in the original
narrative too; this is to keep the children interested and to get across
main events in the story.
The narrative components I have not used are opening - as they are
more used in a soap opera, not a children’s book, and enigma – as this
also would not be used, or suitable for children. The same applies to
‘The Three Little Pigs’, because these components would also not be
appropriate or relevant because again it is for children.
I decided to stick to the narrative techniques and components that ‘The
Three Little Pigs’ used because if I was re-making the story, but a
slightly different version, then the same aspects would have to be
considered too, if I were to change any of the narrative techniques or
components, it wouldn’t be very much like the original.