Little Signs of Passion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Little Signs of Passion - Essay Example One of the stylistic devices used in Little signs of passion is the mismatch of text with the images. In a single panel where the text is supposed to inform the context of the images Spiegelman intentionally creates a disconnect between the two. Spiegelman has constructed Little signs of passion as a collage of contexts within panels. The collection of collages is made to produce a confused and broken register by collapsing it inwards. Spiegelman destabilizes the chronology, timeline, and narrative voice in a manner that creates incoherence. Further, Spiegelman creates a discordant and amplified register in order to distort the slapstick tumble format. It is also clear that Spiegelman’s work is preoccupied with the themes of depression and madness, but using a postmodern approach. Spiegelman has intentionally distorted the formal unity and coherence of the narrative in many ways. One of the ways that Spiegelman does this is the use of off-beat word-picture combination with a touch of disturbing images creates an agonizingly slow pace of transition for the reader and Spiegelman crowns all this with the aura of impending terror. Spiegelman further uses modern thematic to introduce some underlying terror which is barely expressed. The use of formal play in Little signs of passion distorts the format of jokes so that they become difficult to decipher, and they tend to resist interpretation. In Little signs of passion, amplification is achieved through diegetic development. The narrative of Foul Bernie leaving a pornographic film is played in over thirty panels with later versions of the narrative including other characters such as Roxie and Augie to give Foul Bernie an opportunity to deliver an anecdote before tripping.