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Published in:
Introduction: Graphic Novels, Genocide, Kitsch Read chapter Read first chapter

2019 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

3. From Gruesome to Grey: The Moralisation of Perpetrators

Author : Laurike in ’t Veld

Published in: The Representation of Genocide in Graphic Novels

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

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Abstract

This chapter offers a nuanced look at the moral issues at stake in visualising perpetrator positions in graphic novels that deal with genocide. The chapter proposes a visual and thematic scale that runs from Manichean depictions of extraordinary evil to explorations of the “ordinariness” of perpetrators. Drawing on a range of examples, in ’t Veld outlines the cultural model of the evil Nazi and demonstrates how excessive perpetrators are constructed in graphic novels. Critically questioning the immoral and visual excess of these perpetrator figures, in ’t Veld explores graphic novels that offer a more nuanced and heterogeneous view of perpetrators. Finally, in ’t Veld explores how Joe Sacco’s Safe Area Goražde present a complex mix of approaches to the construction of perpetrator figures.

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previous chapter (In)human Visual Metaphors: The Animal and the Doll
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Metadata
Title
From Gruesome to Grey: The Moralisation of Perpetrators
Author
Laurike in ’t Veld
Copyright Year
2019
Book
The Representation of Genocide in Graphic Novels

Print ISBN: 978-3-030-03625-6

Electronic ISBN: 978-3-030-03626-3

Copyright Year: 2019

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03626-3_3