I Was Taught to Be a Lady
Document Type
Graphic Novel
Publication Date
Fall 2024
Abstract
These comics were created by students in Dr. Stella Oh's WGST 3300: Race, Gender, and Graphic Novels exploring thematic topics of identity, loss, illness, disability, and caregiving. After reading creative and scholarly works addressing war, PTSD, social stigma, and graphic medicine, students engaged in creating several comics. Some of the student comics are featured in this collection. Communicating their ideas through the visual-textual medium of comics, students engaged in critical reflection of their readings and class discussions. Students produced their comics through software such as Illustrator, Canva, Procreate, and other media.
Repository Citation
Gaylord, Katherine and Oh, Stella, "I Was Taught to Be a Lady" (2024). Women’s and Gender Studies Student Work. 2.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/wgst_student/2
Comments
"I Was Taught to Be a Lady" explores the power of outspoken anger against systems that work tirelessly to control voices of discontent through the icon of disembodied mouths that “shush” and question the protagonist. These mouths are introduced in the title– which also acts as the first panel– and surround and interrupt the main character throughout the comic to represent Western social standards of silencing non-male bodies, emotions, and experiences. The comic further explores impossible social standards of being interesting or fun “enough” but not “too much,” and the external and internal anger at the constant controlling and criticism of non-male bodies and voices.