| Numerous artists and scholars advocate a literary consideration of graphic novels. However, their arguments seldom present a clear analysis of what makes graphic novels literary, let alone a clear definition of literature. This thesis seeks to fill in these explanatory gaps by arguing for the literary consideration of graphic novels, understood as a genre within comics, on the basis of an institutional theory of literature. As this theory posits a shared practice of production and appreciation of artistic value, the value of a literary work is not exclusively tied to the linguistic medium. On the contrary, pictures can significantly contribute to the particular value that literature affords. Nevertheless, the particular use of pictures in graphic novels exemplifies artistic conventions that are conceptually distinct from those of literature. A literary analysis can therefore explain partially, but not exhaustively, the artistic value of graphic novels. |
