Final Draft for Assignment 3

Expectations for Assignment 3:- Emailed to professor.

Pre-Draft for Assignment 3:- http://archive.cunyhumanitiesalliance.org/breathingthroughwriting/2017/05/26/pre-draft-for-assignment-3-5/

Rough Draft for Assignment 3:- http://archive.cunyhumanitiesalliance.org/breathingthroughwriting/2017/05/30/rough-draft-for-assignment-3/

Peer-Review:- Discussed Diego’s comic with him in class.

Artist statement

I decided to write an essay for this assignment because I thought it is the best way to express and explain my ideas in a complete and detailed format. My audience for this assignment is of course my professor and also an average American Citizen who is not well informed about Islam. Before they start reading my paper, they should know that I tried my best to cover all ideas that stood out to me from this comic series. I want them to learn two things from my project, first one is to get an idea of how this comic series paints a beautiful picture of what a Muslim household is like, and the second thing is how this comic series fights against the stereotypes of Muslim people living in the states. I think they would be able to learn these two things since I have already mentioned these things now, so it would be easy for them to point it out in the actual essay. The emotional impact that I am hoping to achieve from this project is religious tolerance racial harmony. It is not that only one or few sections of Ms.Marvel had inspired me to create my project in this type, it is the overall idea that made me write an analytical essay on this assignment, so I can have the freedom and space to express my thoughts completely. I am not so sure what I have learned about my writing process through doing this project, but I know that I picked up some ideas from Ms.Marvel and then explain it with my own observation of the society and then supported it with an example from the book itself. I think the one unique perspective that I brought in this project was the fact that I’m a muslim immigrant myself, although I wasn’t born in the states but still I can relate to this comic series on another level, and think of something related to Ms.Marvel that someone else might not. In terms of what I learned through this project, well this was my first experience with a comic book. It introduced me several things, the art of telling stories through pictures, and the fact that sketches are also part of literature. I would still like to learn how the story of “Kamala Khan” would turnout in the next part. I got so much help from the peer review on my rough draft and from my professor’s feedback. They helped me to narrow my focus and thoughts in one specific direction. If I had another week to work on my project, I would probably expand the three paragraphs containing my main ideas. The deep analysis that I did in this project to get the most of it and to make it relevant to today’s society, I can use that deep analysis technique in my future projects. I would like my audience to know one last thing, there maybe some points that you won’t agree with me. But I can say that I have a firsthand experience of these things so just bear with me. It would all make sense by the end.

IDENTITY

Migrating to other countries can be resulted in some hard choices for first generation of children. The struggle to blend in a new community, to own a new culture, to keep in touch and follow their own virtues and ideas can easily make them confused and frustrated. They often feel ashamed for being different and try to deny their stereotypes. For our third and final assignment, we read a comic series named ,”MS.MARVEL”. It is a story of a teenage girl who was born in New jersey, where her parents moved from Pakistan. In the beginning she seemed a bit confused and scared while she tried to adjust herself in the community and be like her friends. This comic series does a great job at portraying the actual version of Muslim people living in the states.

This comic series also does a fine job in highlighting stereotypes of Muslim people. For example, the idea in American’s mind that muslim women are required by their parents to wear headscarf and like it is a matter of death and life. There is a scene in this comic series where a white girl named Zoe asks Kamala, “But I mean… nobody pressured you to start wearing it, right? Your father or somebody? Nobody’s going to like, honor kill you? I’m just concerned.” Well this is pretty much the mindset of an average American. They believe that all religious practices are accompanied by someone else’s pressure. And ironically nowadays these same people are identifying Muslim women by their headscarves and harassing them.

Another idea that I think this comic series shed some light on or tried to defend it was the most famous and everlasting thought that “All muslims are terrorists”. (Period. No exception). So when Kamala becomes Ms.Marvel and gains super powers, she then jumps into the lake to save Zoe from drowning. But before doing that, she remembers something from Muslim religious book. Which is, “WHOEVER KILLS ONE PERSON, IT IS AS IF HE HAS KILLED ALL OF MANKIND– AND WHOEVER SAVES ONE PERSON, IT IS AS IF HE HAS SAVED ALL OF MANKIND.” This verse clearly tells us what are the actual Islamic views on violence and humanity. But people still find a way to ignore the authentic version of the religion and blame everyone who follows it because of an individual person’s acts.

These are the two ideas that stood out to me in this comic series. It can be really helpful for Muslims living in states if people read this series and get a new perspective on several issues. But the problem remains the same, because people who are Islamophobic and believe that is a religion of oppression, are not going to even touch this comic because it propagates the “Liberal Agenda.”

FINAL Assignment Kamala Khan inspiration

Artist Statement

What inspired me to make a poster was reading the Comic Ms Marvel and the day we drew in class. Moreover, we did pair group and that was really fun, creative and fun again.

My audience is everyone who have read and have not read Ms Marvel. To the ones who have read the comic would understand it and the ones who haven’t would be interested on reading it. I want you to know that drawing a hand from that angle is the hardest.

I want you to learn that Ms. Marvel is not a regular super hero. She inspires! Even if you´re young or old (With a young soul) you will enjoy reading it. I am sure you will be able to learn and understand the comic in that I did it too. In addition, I have to mention that I have zero experience with comics. Therefore, for a comic to create a big impact on me that made me draw IS HUGE.

First of all, I thought I was going to create short comic with stick figures, then in my pre-draft I said I was going to write a fan fiction, and I ended up creating a poster of Kamala and I.

What inspired me the most from the comic was the attitude Kamala had from the beginning to the end, because I see how she gain confidence she did not show on the first pages.

We all can express our ideas in different ways. I had forgotten that I was creative! I have not drawn since high school. Furthermore, this creation taught me that I am capable of anything, not only writing.

I mention something about immigration in the beginning of my explanation, I feel one reason she lacks confidence is that she is living in two cultures. One is the Pakistani and the other the American. I want to make sure this point is clear because this is how I feel about her. I identify as Kamala in that once I was feeling like that when I arrived to the United States.

I learned that I was clever to have realized that I had to be myself and don’t change to impress or like the others. I would like to learn more about Kamala in the next volumes. I am eager to get the volume two.!

My peer reviewers helped me in an effective way. I improved my explanation and I hope I am clearer.

I don’t think I would change anything, because I read the whole volume and I feel I transmit what I wanted to transmit to you. What I would take to my next projects from this assignment is that if I lack of words and I don’t know what to write I can start it by drawing something. Just like we learned in class.

I hope you enjoy it and any comments are welcome!

Explanation of my Poster:

The United States is full of immigrants of all ages. In Ms. Marvel we see that Kamala is confused about how to act. Sometimes she’s reckless and sneaks out her house, other times she cites the Quran to clarify her actions. Her family is from Pakistan; it does not mention when they arrived or if kamala was born in the United States. However, we can assume that they all arrived here when kamala was young. She shows in the first pages that she is kind of shy and reserved.

This poster represents the outcome of the first issue according to me. Kamala gained confidence through the whole comic in each page. We see that when she fought against The Inventor. She was in her own skin showing power and acceptance from herself. At the beginning when she said how she wanted to be to the avengers, she chooses to be blonde and white, but there’s a transition After she saved Zoe, Kamala in her head She states that she always thought that having amazing hair, and wear great boots that would made her strong, but the hair got in her face and the boots pinched…

After that, she realizes that what makes her truly happy is the fact that Zoe is alive even though she is annoying to everyone.

I include me in the poster telling her that she is a role model to everyone because confidence is one of the most important things one can have. Moreover, in the first issue she demonstrates how little by little she gained the confidence (when she saved Zoe and fought against the inventor). For some people is hard or difficult to maintain confidence and trust themselves. I relate a lot to Kamala because I arrived in this country trying to fit, and it took me a while to realize that Like Kamala I had to be the best version of me.

(I draw me small because I found it cool to be on her embiggened hand. ) As well as a representation of how I felt when I was feeling confused when I arrived to the United States, I used to go out with American people and I did not find anything fun. I thought they would think that I am a boring person. Anyways, I stopped hanging out with them until I find the right friends that enjoy what I enjoy, not being ashamed of behaving the way I truly am.

It touched my heart when her dad talked to her saying that Kamala means perfection in Arabic and that she doesn’t have to be someone else to impress anybody. You are perfect just the way you are. After those words Kamala realizes that Abu (her dad) is completely right and said I’m not here to be a watered-down version of some other hero… I’m here to be the best version of Kamala.

Kamala is an inspiration for everyone.

Expectations assignment 3 http://archive.cunyhumanitiesalliance.org/breathingthroughwriting/2017/05/23/expectations-assignment-3/

PRE DRAFT

http://archive.cunyhumanitiesalliance.org/breathingthroughwriting/2017/06/04/pre-draft-3/

ROUGH DRAFT was e-mailed to you and my peer reviewers

I worked with Mariela (I sent you the copy of the email because it was a video) and Hira http://archive.cunyhumanitiesalliance.org/breathingthroughwriting/2017/05/31/rough-draft-assignment-3-3/

Rough Draft for Assignment 3

This comic series shows us the insights of Muslim immigrant households and their way of life. We all can clearly see that dividing wall between the beliefs of two completely separated communities. For instance, in the very beginning scene. The main character “Kamala Khan” is trying to smell “Bacon” but she can not eat it because that is against her religious belief. And when she goes to her friend’s party and accidentally drinks alcohol, she gets so terrified ans spits it out. These are just some examples of how Muslim people have to be careful and terrified while trying to adjust themselves in western culture. This comic series also does a fine job in highlighting stereotypes of Muslim people. For example, the idea in American’s mind that muslim women are required by their parents to wear headscarf and like it is a matter of death and life. There is a scene in this comic series where a white girl named Zoe asks Kamala, “But I mean… nobody pressured you to start wearing it, right? Your father or somebody? Nobody’s going to like, honor kill you? I’m just concerned.” Well this is pretty much the mindset of an average American. They believe that all religious practices are accompanied by someone else’s pressure. And ironically nowadays these same people are identifying Muslim women by their headscarves and harassing them. Another idea that I think this comic series shed some light on or tried to defend it was the most famous and everlasting thought that “All muslims are terrorists”. (Period. No exception). So when Kamala becomes Ms.Marvel and gains super powers, she then jumps into the lake to save Zoe from drowning. But before doing that, she remembers something from Muslim religious book. Which is, “WHOEVER KILLS ONE PERSON, IT IS AS IF HE HAS KILLED ALL OF MANKIND– AND WHOEVER SAVES ONE PERSON, IT IS AS IF HE HAS SAVED ALL OF MANKIND.” This verse clearly tells us what are the actual Islamic views on violence and humanity. But people still find a way to ignore the actual version of the religion and blame the whole following of that religion because of an individual person’s acts.

These are the two ideas that stood out to me in this comic series. It can be really helpful for Muslims living in states if people read this series and get a new perspective on several issues. But the problem remains the same, because people who are Islamophobic and believe that is a religion of oppression, are not going to even touch this book because it advocates the “Liberal Agenda.”

Questions for peer review

1) Is it clear from my introduction of what I’m going to talk about next?

2) I had a hard time in gathering my thoughts to write this essay, so is there anything that you would want me to add or expand or remove?

3) I tried to describe two separate ideas in this paper, and gave them equal amount of attention. How successful was I in that process?

4) What do you think of my use of quotes from the book? are they completely relevant of what I’m talking about?

5) I tried to make my conclusion a bit short, because I didn’t want to add new things in it. But if think that I need to expand it or add something, let me know.

Pre-Draft Assignment #3

What did you learn in class on Monday that impacted how you approach reading comics and/or understanding Ms. Marvel?

In class on Monday I learned a lot since I love reading comics. Even though I am not good at drawing and neither coming up with ideas or stories but I love reading comics I just enjoy reading it. On Monday I learned something very different that I had never learned before. I mean it was the first time I learned how difficult and challenging it is to write comics and that author of the comics is not one person. Comics cannot be done without writing and drawing and some of us might agree with me that not all of us are good at both. I learned how difficult it is to come up with idea and images to draw the story.

Did it impact your choice of format for this assignment? What format are you thinking of using?

The activity we did in the class drawing what we were asked for based on the 2 sentences, it was fun but it was so difficult to come up with the drawing. I was blank. It taught me that an artist has to focus on the story and then draw the story or wither draw the story and it will be easier to write the story. What I mean is one cannot be done without other. There has to be either writing or drawing. For this assignment #3 I might focus on my own little comic by choosing one part from Ms. Marvel. I know I am worst at drawing but I want to try something new by my own.

What is unique about this format that will allow you to learn more about the comic than what is expressed on the surface? What questions or concerns or excitements do you have about creating a project in this format?

Like I said before drawing and texting, both are so important for the comic but also the characters matter and their face reaction/emotion and their surroundings matter in the comic because reader have to have some idea of what’s the situation in the time.The question I have is that if I am writing and drawing for this assignment, I will understand and know what’s going on but how will the viewers understand what I am trying to deliver. So am a bit confuse and lost.

What is Ms. Marvel teaching you about writing so far?

Ms. Marvel is teaching me a lot. In my first assignment I used and online web to draw and write a story and I thought that is a type of like comic but now I realize I was wrong. It doesn’t go like that. Reading Ms. Marvel taught me that one situation have to go through very clearly like you cannot skip what is in between. And it also taught me that everything is important in the drawing every subject matters in the writing and drawing.