Page-by-Page Analasis of John Marsden's "A Prayer for the 21st Century" with a focus on the Relationship between Visual and Written Texts in the Form of a Book Review

A significant event in one's life forces a person to reevaluate their current situation and decide how they will adapt to a new situation, or cause them to look back on the steps they took to get into that situation. In life as well as in the literature Crosswalk In The Rain, and THE TENT DELIVERY WOMAN’S RIDE, people have to adapt to what is happening in their lives, despite conditions they may have been through in the past. In life at some point there will be crossroads that a person must cross, they can either look back at what they have done to end up in that position or they can look forward and see what they must do to continue moving forward.

The first sentence in this picture book contains the words “many grandparents ago” which immediately positions the viewer to see that the story is from an indigenous point of view. John Marsden uses minimal written text which may be for two reasons. Firstly the Aboriginal people, at the time this story is set, could not speak English and since then they have never really had a voice. Secondly, the construction of the illustrations by Shaun Tan tells more of a story than words ever could.

Initially, the cover and title page of the book both play a key role in the layout of the story. On the cover, the artistic style of the illustration looks like a cartoon and a painting. This style is very realistic because of the situation portrayed on the cover; yet playful at the same time because of its comical vibe. The cover also looks three-dimensional and the author seems to be using a straightforward perspective of art. This idea is led be true because the child, wall, and table with the fishbowl are all facing towards the reader. The title is also as large in font as the child and fish bowl are. This shows that the cover is relatively proportional in both text and pictures.

The author of this book did make use of literary elements to tell the story. These elements are also used in other picture books such as lines, shapes, color and speech bubble. The book is a graphic novel and dialogue takes majority of the writing in the book. The dialogical and concise style of writing of the author including the pictures

Furthermore, the illustrations paint a beautiful picture that I like to think is an insight into a child’s mind, which I is a key element in this book and what makes it so great. Since the book is narrated by a child the intentional simplicity of the words and the controlled chaos that is the illustrations breathes unadulterated life into a rather normal children’s book.

The paths taken in each person’s lifetime can associate with any factor or situation that one may come across. For example, one could come across a path that stands for tradition and the effect of traditional beliefs on a society like the one represented in “Dead Man’s Path.” Another example could be a path that stands for the power of love and the effect of unselfishness that makes one continue with life like the one represented in “A Worn Path.” An additional example could be a path that stands for overcoming doubts of beliefs as these may uphold or tear one apart like the path represented in “Young Goodman Brown.” No path is easier than another and they all hold a spectacular significance in each person’s life. Therefore, in this independent

Although books full of words are more efficient in delivering and describing what the author feels, sometimes pictures can give a deep meaning depending on how they are organized. The Veil by Marjane Satrapi’s is a graphic novel that’s organized in a particular way, to deliver a certain message through the pictures. Marjane includes different sizes and frames that serve what she is thinking and feeling. Choosing certain sizes, frames and colours isn’t arbitrary. As each box increases in size, it means that she wants to emphasize the message behind that box, or show her relation to that particular text. Contrast is also one of the main elements that Marjane uses in her graphic novel. For example, on page five, there is a big picture of

Distinctively visual texts aim to manipulate the we perceive images critically affecting our interpretation of events and people we meet in our lives. Distinctively visual techniques are utilised in the ‘Run Lola Run’ directed by Tom Tykwer and the picture book ‘Red Tree’ written by Sean Tan. The way the distinctively visual is shown throughout these texts is through the use of motifs, different angle shots, colours, lighting and reading paths. These techniques aim to show the important themes in both texts such as time, hope and love.

Perused those title Furthermore front and once more blankets. Take a gander at those extent of the font, the illustrations, the white space, and the number for pages.

For many, life out on the road is a way for individuals to experience freedom away from society. When experiencing freedom, it brings happiness to some and creates a fascinating appeal towards what life can potentially be on the road. This idealistic venture is seen in Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, narrating the journey of a privileged young adult named Chris McCandless. Krakauer guides the reader through the journey of McCandless of why and how left his old, but very comfortable life for an unpredictable one, by traveling to Alaska and living off its land. While many believe life on the road is a source of finding happiness, it is not an effective way to solve one’s problem; therefore, one should not live life on the road.

Distinctively visual texts aim to manipulate the way we explore and interpret the images we see, thus affecting the way we make interpretations of the experiences we encounter and allows us to embody newfound various perspectives of the world.

“People only see what they are prepared to see” is a famous quote by Ralph Waldo. This quote emphasises the fact that the purpose of a text can often be unnoticed and misinterpreted by the viewer. Many people only have a limited world experience, and it’s the Distinctly Visual feature of a text which allows the viewer to gain a better understanding. Distinctly Visual texts use a combination of techniques to create and shape an audience’s point of view or interpretation, and visualising a text requires the responder to interpret all of the images presented.

It depicts a Native American posing on a small island. He is portrayed with a bow in one hand, an arrow in another, undergarments made of leaves, and a speech bubble reading, “come help us.” The drawing shows the native raising his arms, almost in a confusion. Although equipped with weapons, the illustration labels him as helpless, holding them in uncertainty. From the image, one can surmises that the newcomers felt it their duty to convert Indians. Yet, one may also surmise that the image was merely a ploy. The new charters in America were an expensive investment. One must pay for the supplies, ship, and food to reach the new world. To receive the sponsorship, it would be quite useful to spin the investment into a call to missions, promising to save all the “savages.” Yet, the mission failed miserably. The incoming Europeans could not rid themselves of prejudice or need for land, which would later overcome intentions to save the original

The book I am reading is the death cure by James Dashner. I used bold italic because it was easier to see also it shows a type of attention grabbing. I Used white color because it is easier to see on a black background .I used that picture because it reminds me if the parasite in the book.I used this layout to see everything clearly and I liked it that

In conclusion an individual’s journey could always involve the process of learning, maturation and self-discovery as a personal development. Therefore inner journeys increase our personal knowledge and understanding of others, although the play Away by Michael Gow and the film To Kill a Mockingbird by Robert mulligan involve three types of journey. They all demonstrated the inner journey throughout the play and the film giving us an understanding of an individual’s journey could have an impact on others. I would like to end my speech with a quote by Greg Anderson ‘Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing