The Scarlet Letter

Over the course of this year, I am combining my love of art and literature by creating a graphic novel of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I was first introduced to this text in high school and was drawn into the story by the complex characters and visual language. However, this is a text that many people struggle with reading, be it because of the unfamiliar language or the way it is often presented in the classroom. My graphic novel is not meant to replace reading the actual text and I would not like to assume that my work supersedes the original in any way. Rather my hope is that this graphic novel can act as a supplement to aid in understanding this classic story of revenge and redemption. 

I think comics and graphic novels are a very useful way to communicate ideas to people. We are constantly surrounded by visual language and cues, many of which we don’t realize we are susceptible to. The format of a graphic novel allows for a story to be told in an alternative platform, adding to the ability to transmit themes and emotions. This specific story is ripe with visual language and drama, something I thought would lend well to the format of a graphic novel. I hope that my work will allow people to engage with this text in a new and exciting format, make it more accessible, and convey that even though the text was written almost 200 years ago it is still relevant today. The changes that I have made, whether it was updating the language or condensing scenes, I did consciously with the goal to make transmitting the text easier. This is my interpretation of the text as I have come to understand it, and I am leaving my own mark on it as an author and illustrator. 

This project has had many stages and is still in process. What is represented is just a portion of the overall book.