The Writing Desk

This project explores the use of the graphic novel format to convey an historical narrative, with the goal of giving contemporary readers (particularly young women) an enhanced experience of what it was like to live as a woman in late Victorian and early Edwardian New Zealand. The thesis examines the use of visual narrative techniques in a range of historical graphic novels and considers how these can be enhanced and expanded. An historical graphic novel is then created, based on actual events, centred on the opportunities and struggles of two young women growing up in South Canterbury in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and their aspirations for the future. The graphic novel is then shared with a sample of contemporary readers including young women, relatives of the characters depicted, and secondary school educators. Their reactions are collected in a de-identified survey, to determine the effectiveness of the graphic novel's use of particular visual narrative techniques in achieving the project's goal. The conclusion highlights ways in which the graphic novel can be particularly effective at providing readers with a compelling, vivid experience and an understanding of the past.