Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Literature of the Future
Comics are the literature of the future. Throughout the ages we have seen the attention spans of people drop at alarming rates. The onus for this is on pure human nature. Rather than labor through 1500 pages of War and Peace -- out of which people will get - at most- a headache -- they will be quickly satisfied by a strip that could make them laugh, consider other mentalities, or think deeply about a subject you had rarely pondered before. Chock full of symbolism, satire, and wholesome escapism, comics can enrich people, however subtly. This form of media will outlast any other. Videos and books will become things of the past, books because people will lack the attention span to take in ideas without visuals to aid them, and videos because humans will not be able to speak fast enough to make up for the speed of reading. Comics are the perfect balance of visuals and text.
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I agree with you about comics being the perfect balence, and a great form of getting a meaning across, because they are quick and to the point. However, I strongly disagree with you that they will outlast books and videos -- you cannot put special effects into comics that you get in videos, nor the connections that develope between you and the characters when you read a novel. Maybe our attention spans are getting shorter, but no matter how many times we will ditch a book for a video game, or a video game for a comic book, you cannot ever replicate boods of videos, no matter how hard you try, and therefore people will still be getting things ouit of literature hundreds of years from now. Or so I assume.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure about this idea. There is definitely a place for comics, and they may become a more readily accessible form of literature for the masses, but at the same time, there are some ideas, some messages, that are simply too complex to be captured by a comic. There will always be a need for lengthier, drawn-out dialog about issues that require a deeper treatment than simply expressing the idea. There is also the need for accuracy in the written form that video expression cannot achieve. Language expresses an exacting control over the message, over the content, making as sure as possible that the reader understands the writer's intent. With video, there is too much room for interpretation. I embrace the development of new literary forms, but reject the notion that others must be extinguished to make room. There can, and will be, a coexistence between many forms of writing in the future. Resisting the tide of change is futile, and losing the foundations of the past is foolhardy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ryan that comics are cool and fun but they lack the in-depth detail that many peopple crave. I think books and videos will far outlast comics.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about that. Are you saying that there will only be comics and nothing else or people will choose to read comics over something else? You brought up a topic that I think no one thinks about (I don't anyway) and put in into a provoking, thoughtful piece. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteIt's a very accute sense of what will be written on paper. It's an unfortunate probability. However, there will those who would rather write a book and there are those who would read. Books and videos may no be things of the past, however, they could be passed up in society's popularity food chain.
ReplyDeleteI also agree Derek and Ryan, while people may want simplicity a lot, there is going to be a time where the in-depth story will win. There is probably an age where comic books are outgrown, too. Also, I'm not sure if videos will be forgotten, because so many people still go to the movie theatres, though they can't tell the kind of story a book can. That was really interesting to think about, though.
ReplyDeleteHi this is Ryan from the 7th grade language arts class and I have to say that this is very insightful and your views are interesting but I disagree. A large percentage of people like to think on an intellectual level so I think that literature will last forever unless something like what happens in Fahrenheit 451 happens. Videos I believe will have less hope than normal novels, but I still think that the world won't settle for "Pickles" everyday. Your take on it is very interesting and I think that it definetly is a possibility but I just don't think it is likely. Nice job on the writing of the piece, it appeared formal and that you had knowledge of the topic.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that comics are a perfect balance between visuals and text, i'm not sure I agree with the fact that it will be the literature of the future. I agree more with Ryan on the fact that you feel no connection to the characters in comics. Also after seeing Avatar and all the cool special effects I think that special effects in movies will get better and better rather than disappear
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Literature has such an impact on our lives, how could we practically throw it out? Comics to me are not very entertaining because they are so short. There is no depth to them and you can't get attached to the plot of a comic like you can to a novel. I mean you have a point where you say peoples attention spans are getting shorter and shorter but if the book is good enough, people can sit down and read it. I mean, some people just don't like comics at all so they wouldn't even want yo read them. And videos, I don't know why videos would be cut out because they are shorter, have special effects and good plots that keep your attention.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting point of view but I disagree, because I'm guessing people will still go to school in the future and how can historical literature really compare to comic strips? I think that maybe for fun people might read comics more but I bet that there will still be a lot of people who will still love to read just like there are now.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Johnson about this one. There is just too much in the word that cannot be put into a simple comic strip with a few little bubbles with words and pictures. Literature is something that has been around for too long to be put aside and ignored. To assume that there will be nothing but comics in the future is pretty far fetched; there will always be something that can be depended upon to express thoughts and feelings, like books. Whereas, with comics, there are just little burst of imagination drawn out, usually meant to be a funny thing, or just a simple or silly thing to think about. With books there is much more intelligence involved, the brain must actually work to comprehend what is being said, and what is being said has meaning that might stick with us for the rest of our lives, not a mere hour or two.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mr. Johnson, and Autumn about this topic. Book have so much depth to them that mir comic strips can not tell through a few pictures. Sure, the younger generations may not read as much, but i don't think that the older generations will be comfturable with changing everything they now. Literature has been around for many years and i don't belive comic strips can just replace everything. There are many topics to write and read about and can not just be explaind through a few little though bubbles.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with the other people that have commented on this statement. Comics can be very fun, and you were right about them being the [perfect combination of text and visuals or whatever you said, but like Derek brought up, people will eventually get bored of them and want something more in depth to read. I like how you just totally brought something up "out of the blue" like that though.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, at this time the comic is past its potential. So many are very mediocre. This post was inspired by Bill Watterson, writer and illustrator of Calvin and Hobbes, and he brings up some good points in something I read that he wrote. He says that back when the comics took up a full page or even a half page they were so much better. It is actually quite possible to develop a relationship with the characters; you just have to have a very good cartoonist and writer. If they are given more space in newspapers and other media, they can be allowed to flourish, and the great writers will fill the niche to great potential.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever finished reading a series of books, or a long novel, and just been extremely happy or sad for the charactor, because you have such a good connection with them? I think that is a big reason why people, even those who don't like to really think about symbolism and themes, read literature.
ReplyDeleteAnother thought to add here to the stream of comments, is that if we review change throughout history, it is always sparked by few, understood by some, and feared my many. Those who sparked the change were not always awarded in their lifetime, but it didn't matter to them anyway since they are always motivated by greater things than human glory. The group that starts to get the ideas, carry the torch and make sure the change gains speed. Those who throw fear in the way to try and stop change, are always found to be reactionary, and sometimes even silly in their position. I'll toss one quick example out there: at the end of the 19th century, as cars started to become a real viable form of transportation, there was a large contingency that tried to stop the development of the automobile: the horse and carraige industry. they claimed it would be economic catastrophy since so many people's jobs revolved around horse drawn carraiges. Of course, the auto industry went on to employ more people than they could have even imagined. My point being this: as we see change occurring in our midst -- in the case of your blog, the development of video and comics -- we need to be careful what voices we listen to, and realize that our better selves do reign in the end. We do draw towards the light. Whatever the form, great literature will always be a part of the human experience.
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