Sample Academic Writing - Visual Argument
"Monstress" Issue #1, the masterpiece of Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, exhibited a person's complexities that are negatively accepted by many individuals. Physical imperfection, unusual strength and strange difference should not be considered by the society as a threat to most people. The comic story stated that there's more hunger in this world than love. From this context, Liu emphasized the inequality in this world and how it favors perfection over others. This paper aims to enumerate the dissimilar aspects that are considered harmful by the society to ordinary people that are living usual lives and why it should not be considered as hazards to humanity. From this account, the deeper effects and context of the society's treatment to a certain diverse individual will also be tackled.
Sana Takeda used powerful symbolisms and illustrations to strengthen Marjorie Liu's approach on the story. At the beginning of the episodes, Maika is presented in shameless nudity to the men that are surrounding her. With the chain fastened around her neck, she is rendered powerless during that time. Characters are presented in a blended and strange manner. The monster qualities were emphasized as they are illustrated with the normal human beings. Extravagant and enormous designs of the powerful people's places are noticeable in the scenes. Such details convey how the society looks up at the individuals who could use their wealth and power to do anything that they want to those who are different from them. Monsters with incomplete body parts that are used in creating more powerful beings gives us the idea that others would still worsen an individual's imperfections just to create a perfect thing out of hurting them. In general, the dark and sad colors used in the comic signify the dreary and poignant condition of how the society treats unusual aspects of a person's being. The small children held as captives symbolize the helplessness of these individuals towards people who looked down on them.
Maika's physical imperfection was used against her and became the reason why people would look at her in a different manner. Her deformed arm was criticized by one man at the first part of the comic episodes. For him, her imperfection was very obvious and she doesn't deserve to have great value in the eyes of many people in our society. People with disabilities are sometimes treated as a threat to other people for they need more assistance and attention that makes the development progress slower than the usual goal. For some, people with disabilities are useless and are harmful to our economy for they won't be able to contribute skills and effort that a normal person can. Aside from Maika's deformed arm, the symbol marked on her chest was a big issue for the people in the society. The crowd who saw her chest immediately treated her differently for it means that she belongs to a different group of arcanic religious cults that worship demons or Monstra which are ghosts that appear through harmless apparitions. In an instance, Maika has been branded as a threat to the society.
The main character's unusual strength was accepted negatively by most people. A lot considered her strength as a dangerous factor to many. When she and the other captives were brought to Sophia Fekete, Miss Ilsa told them to be obedient because fighting will only make it worse. In this statement, Maika's powerful strength has already been remarked as something to be avoided just to have a better condition under Sophia Fekete's hands. Her successful effort to break the chains using her mind was only considered by the other captives as part of the witch tricks. Strong people who have the courage and the abilities to fight for what is right, are considered threats to the society. For many, being obedient will give lesser hurt and sufferings. As quoted from the comic, fighting will only make things worse.
Maika Halfwolf's strange personality is considered an extreme hazard to the humans. Her partial human individuality made her intimidating for the human criminals waiting to buy her. Their confusion about her real identity was difficult to appease due to her physical characteristics. Another instance was when the little fox girl wanted to help Maika when she stumbled and cringed on the ground. The little fox was confused if she needs to help her or not since the other kid told her to stay away from Maika. In the end, she realized that Maika wanted to eat her so she ran away from her. This part of the comic doesn't only show Maika's threat to other people because even to herself, she is a great danger already. In fact, she is still convincing herself that she is not a monster despite her hunger for strange food.
People who are totally unlike to the majority in terms of their needs, preferences and origin are usually misjudged by the society to the point that they are classified as harmful individuals that will affect the peace and order of the many.
To draw the conclusion, one should note that the society has been cruel to the people's discrepancies that are remarked as a threat. Whenever physical imperfection, unusual strength and strange differences are measured and misjudged by the social order, appalling labels and deep wounds are tattooed on a certain diverse individual. In Sana Takeda's note, she wished that our inner monsters will never wake up. But with the misconceptions and misjudgment given by the society to certain people, these inner monsters within us are already rising up. We are all different. We have our own monsters within us. How will you use that 'monster' inside you is up to you. There are many Maika Halfwolf's striving to be part of the social order who wishes to be of help despite being considered as a threat. Every human being has the opportunity to look for the pass through these differences and see how everybody can work together for the social order that curtails each and everyone's hunger for love and acceptance.
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