An Analysis of Happiness Among the Female Genders in Select Graphic Novels

Abstract

What is happiness? Is there a definition for happiness or does it connect with gender? Many philosophers give different interpretations to these queries. For one happiness is being at peace with oneself. This may include the society one inhabits, ones’ abilities, ones’ past, ones’ workspace, ones’ limitations, literatures and art etc. Using pictures to tell stories have been a crucial medium in the history of mankind has evolved from drawing on stone and papyrus and onto paper, and digital formats, but the impact of images remains the same. One such diverse coming of age novels has come into the field of graphic novels. In the turn of the century the medium has explored a wide range of themes and motifs to express creatively this newly found genre. Especially the shattering of gender stereotypes through the female characters is stemming out the need to make their voices strongly heard in the contemporary world. This article aims to look at graphic novels and the level of happiness achieved by the female characters under the light of gender theory. The novels selected to the study are Kari by Amruta Patil, Sita’s Ramayana by Samhita Arni, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Drawing the Line: Indian Women Fight Back a graphic anthology.