English, Department of
Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
First Advisor
Rachael Shah
Committee Members
Jillian Harpster, Michael Page, Richard Graham
Date of this Version
12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts
Major: English
Under the supervision of Professor Rachael Shah
Lincoln, Nebraska, December 2025
Abstract
This thesis investigates the challenges that books are receiving during an era of social and political turmoil based on their content. Understanding why these books are polarizing for most readers and the general public is in direct connection with finding different books that can harbor the same conversations about dense topics and cultivating connections between students, the text, the world, and themselves. While there has been a search to find alternate books that are not considered "political flashpoints,” there has been limited research into the use of superhero graphica in the ELA classroom, especially in connection to utilizing this genre to continue having conversations about heavy and dense topics like having empathy despite trauma, questioning authority figures, and analyzing the ethics of surveillance. The core of this thesis is to show how polarizing books like The Hunger Games, Divergent, and 1984 can be swapped with superhero graphica like Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Marvel’s Runaways: Pride and Joy, and My Hero Academia to continue holding space for these conversations in the classroom. The research in this thesis shows that superhero graphica can hold the same conversations, answer the same questions, and engage students in meaningful activities just as well as the challenged counterpart. These findings suggest that superhero graphica plays a crucial part in the ELA classroom despite its underutilization and long-lasting stigmas. Furthermore, this genre invites students to engage with a nontraditional form of literature, encourages visual literacy, and connects them with stories and characters they might not have experienced elsewhere.
Advisor: Rachael Shah
Included in
Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, Graphic Communications Commons, Illustration Commons, Language and Literacy Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons, Social Justice Commons
Comments
Copyright 2025, Avery Clason. Used by permission