Voices in the Park is an example of postmodern picturebooks as it is written from four different perspectives. Our book refers to this as 'polyphonic' narratives. The story is of the same event told through the eyes of four different people. The second narrator seems to be in a run-down part of town. The third narrator, when the kids are sitting on the bench, his side is not as bright as the little girls.
2. Give examples of how at least three of the picturebook codes listed on pg 78 are used in Voices In The Park.
Codes of Position and Size: (where characters and objects are placed in an image affects how we interpret them). The first narrator is of a snooty mom taking her 'pedigree' dog and Victoria for a walk. The house is nice with a picket fence and she is dressed like she is going to town and not for a walk. The second narrator seems to be in a run-down part of town. The third narrator, when the kids are sitting on the bench, his side is not as bright as the little girls.
Codes of the Frame: (we look through a frame into another world). The wealthy narrators frames are nice and neat with vibrant colors. Even in the frame where the the two children are in the forest, there is sunlight shining on them. The two less fortunate narrators frame are not crisp, neat, or tidy. There are jagged edges and the first view of the second voice does not have a frame at all; just an outline of him sitting in his chair.
Codes of Color: (color can be used for mood, emotional impact, or meanings in various cultures). Brown and green is used throughout all four of the narrators but the the mother and boys images are bright and even cheerful. Even the evening scene is brighter. There are bright blue/purple colors added in their images that make one drawn to everything going on within the page. The man and daughter's colors and dull and depressing. The colors look dingy and dull to evoke a depressing feeling.
3. Identify and explain the type of "interplay" between the written word and visual images on one of the pages in Voices In The Park.
Each voice has their own font throughout their narrative. The woman's font is large and almost formal or stuffy. The man's font is bold and block-like. The young boy's font is clean but not as formal as his mother's. The young girl's font is like a child's handwriting.
4. Identify the art movement or technique that is being used in Voices In The Park.
Anthony Brown typically uses anthropomorphic chimps in his art work (King Kong and the Willy stories). There are hidden images throughout the story such as the crying Mona Lisa portrait on the man's narrative or the Scream mask on the want ad page. When they leave their house (the girl's voice), the shrub turns into an ice cream with a cherry on top. The last page though shows the two portraits dancing and a Santa Claus. On the affluent woman's last page, if one is to click on Cupid, an arrow will shoot toward the reader. The images come to life when one clicks on a slide. There is a soccer ball that comes out of the slide that seems to be in 3-D.
5. Conduct an Ideological Analysis and Structural Analysis of Voices In The Park. What is the message? Provide evidence from the images to support your opinion. Use the examples on pg 86, 87,89. I do not expect your analysis to be as in depth but I would like for you to make two or three insightful observations about the perspectives and social context conveyed through the books words and images.
The families in this picturebook are from two different socio-economic status' and are emotionally different as well. The mother seems to be a snobby lady from an affluent family due to the pictures of her clothing and home. Taking the dog and her son to the park seem more of a chore than something she would choose to do. Even her son's name, Charles, and the dog's name, Victoria, suggests a well-to-do family as they are not "Charlie or Tory/Vicky". The mother becomes scared when she cannot find her son yet she was not enjoying herself as she was planning dinner in her head. The son seems sad when we first meet him as he is staring out a window wistfully. The shadow that comes on him suggests he has been standing there for a while. He didn't want to play with Smudge at first because she was a girl but they eventually had fun. When he left, he was thinking of his new friend. The dad looks gloom and doom as the shadows suggest he is just staring at a TV. He seems OK with his life and looks through the want-ads with some hope. He genuinely cares more about his daughter and dog than he does about money. Smudge seems like a ball of energy due to the many words that are in her narrative. She does not use proper English and maybe does not do well in school. She gave Charles a nickname and enjoyed herself. She picked up on his sadness and was empathetic towards him when his mummy made him leave the park.
6. Embed a picture of the cover of Voices In The Park in your blog.
Works Cited:
- Browne, A. (1999). Voices in the park. Retrieved on June 27, 2014 from http://research.kingston.ac.uk/booksalive/flash/book.html
- Serafini, F. (2014). Reading the Visual: An introduction to teaching mulitmodal literacy. New York, NY : Teachers College Press.
No comments:
Post a Comment