Closure and Time Frames: Ruby Hopkins

The graphic novel I am choosing to read is Persepolis, which tells the story of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. The first scene I chose to depict an example of closure is a scene towards the end, pictured below showing a moment to moment action. Why this stuck out to me in particular is because of the panel layout, leading the reader to imagine more between each image, adding in our own interpretation to what happened. Adding the black image at the end especially leads to our own minds having to draw a conclusion of what is going on. Because of the violence this specific scene is leading to, it makes sense why the author would want to leave parts out. From having images zoomed out, then zoomed in, it shows the passage of time moment to moment, with senses of suspense as the character reaches down to look at the bracelet, then realizing the horror at her feet. All of these separate images leave for seconds of time between each action, almost acting as breaths, as we yearn to know what the character sees. 

Persepolis p. 142 by Marjane Satrapi

When looking for an interesting example of time frames, I found one page that shows the passage of time in an interesting, jumbled manner. The photo below shows moments of panic, as the characters frantically run for cover away from the bombs. The first panel on the left shows movement, as the characters run for cover, but not on the same staircase, different staircases, different people, all doing the same action in different location. Then on the right side of the page, a black background with a bunch of floating heads makes for another moment of time where the other shows the lives of multiple people while they are at different locations. It definitely calls to the readers imagination, and is an excellent way to show movement and time through still imagery. 

Persepolis p. 104 by Marjane Satrapi

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