From Show And Tell Analysis

Literature: Interpretive or Concrete

As they grow up, children learn language through the combination of both words and pictures, which paints an image in their mind. The association of words to picture and vice versa is interchangeable as long as the message you are trying to portray is clear. As time passes by and a child’s comprehension of his language advances, society tells that child that his favorite works of literature are frowned upon, just because they have pictures in them. The use of images in works of literature seem to demean the works of comic books by claiming that comics are intended only for children. Therefore, comic books are not seen for their true art, which is to capture a story through the combined use of words and pictures. Instead, society portrays literature as “written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit”(Oxford dictionary). The interpretation of what literature is should be left to the reader. Literature is the art of being able to tell a story. Whether the context of a story is written only in words or is a mixture of images and words, literature should be seen as a work of art that is able to impact a person in one way or another. In Scott McCloud’s From Show and Tell piece, McCloud states that literature can

Unfortunately, society does not always see comic books as a piece of literature, but as a children’s book due to the excessive use of images. Scott McCloud says that, “ Traditional thinking has long held that truly GREAT works of art and literature are only possible when the two are kept at arm’s length.” (Page 740) According to Scott McCloud, society acknowledges “great” works of art and literature as those who do not mix text and images into one. If text and images are mixed into one, resulting in the creation of comic books, the true art behind the story of the comic book is