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Matt Kish’s “Every Page of Moby-Dick, Illustrated”: A Multimodal Approach

  • Maria Giovanna Campobasso

    Maria Giovanna Campobasso is a graduate student at the department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Communication, Education and Society with a specialization in English and German Literature at University of Udine, Italy. Her research interests include multimodal analysis of illustrated literature, theatrical realism, classical mythology in modern literature as well as literary theory, comparative literature and cultural studies. Università degli studi di Udine, via Palladio 8 Udine 33100, Italy.

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Published/Copyright: May 14, 2016

Abstract

The purpose of this essay is to address the multimodal nature of Matt Kish’s project Every Page of Moby-Dick, Illustrated, where Herman Melville’s 1851 masterpiece is set as paratext. Particular focus is set on the portrayals of Captain Achab, specifically “Page 153”, “Page 465” and “Page 469”. The basic theoretical framework has been offered by Alice Gibbons’ theorization of multimodal cognitive poetics and Sigrid Norris’ systematization of multimodal (inter)action. Useful insight has been lent by Sharon Cameron’s work on allegories of the body in Melville’s writing. The given analysis aims to pinpoint the elements of innovation in Kish’s work with respect to the canonical formal features of illustrated book and renewing of literary classics in multimodal terms.

About the author

Maria Giovanna Campobasso

Maria Giovanna Campobasso is a graduate student at the department of Foreign Languages and Literature, Communication, Education and Society with a specialization in English and German Literature at University of Udine, Italy. Her research interests include multimodal analysis of illustrated literature, theatrical realism, classical mythology in modern literature as well as literary theory, comparative literature and cultural studies. Università degli studi di Udine, via Palladio 8 Udine 33100, Italy.

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Published Online: 2016-5-14
Published in Print: 2016-6-1

©2016 by De Gruyter Mouton

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