Graphic novels solicits the use of visual motifs this word was banned from the class  to further express significance for the theme of the story, so “The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation” express its motifs through visuals on the two separate panels. By looking at the different panels, one can see that each panel has a different message, which is important because the use of these motifs brings more meaning to the story and allows for one to pay closer attention to detail. The themes of the panels are private versus public and past versus present. These are both equally important to the graphic novel. This intro is way too vague – you have to specify what you mean by motifs, visuals, message, important, meaning, story, closer attention, and detail. Tell me exactly what part of the text you are focusing on, what I am going to be looking at, and why. 

In the first panel the message displayed in it is how private sector, which is businesses’, companies, and industries, versus public sector, which is the government are symbolized. good topic. The first example of this motif is a picture of a judge and in the text box it says, “Establish Justice…” (Hennessey 202). And beside it it’s a family in a suburban home and the text box says, “… Insure domestic tranquility…” (Hennessey 202). This shows private versus public because the judge, who is public is making sure that the private or the suburban family is safe by establishing justice. Another example of private versus public is the juxtaposition between a picture of the US military and a picture of a business building a wall. In the middle of the two pictures it says, “…Provide for the common defense…” (Hennessey 202). The They both help with the protection of all of the US citizens. Also without each other neither private and public could protect the citizens of the US. Since the private sector usually has more money they help out in that way. The third example of private versus public is a picture of a bunch of people at a political assembly and beside that is a picture of people in vests cleaning oil off of birds. The text box says, “promote the general welfare” (Hennessey 202). The people cleaning the birds, which is private because it is an oil company cleaning the birds. The public is the people attending a political assembly because this is a government run event. The main point of this panel is that in a way private and public sectors both need each other to work. Without judges there would be no protection for the suburban families and without the suburban families a judge wouldn’t have much work. And with the other example without each other, meaning the military and the company building that wall the US would not have enough money to protect all of them. So they all sort of work together as a unit.

The second panel which is the panel? has a different visual motif, is how past versus present is symbolized. This panel compares how the constitution used to be to how it is today. In the first picture it is a picture of an old compass and the text says, “The first seven articles of the constitution-as it was composed in 1787-often reflect widely different moral universe…” (Hennessey 203). This is the past because, one, its showing a compass that seems to be really old and this quote is saying how different the constitution used to be rather than how it is today. The picture right next to this one is a picture of a phone and the text says, “…Than we live in today” (Hennessey 203). This juxtaposition shows how today’s society is different than how it used to be in not just the constitution, but also technologically as well. The next picture looks like a biblical scene with many different kinds of people rioting and the text says, “At the time, the very idea of “wee the people” applied only to white men and often exclusively to those rich enough to own land. And on the other side of the picture is a bunch of rich white men and they look scared. The text for this side says, “Only members of that group could vote or be elected to office” (Hennessey 203). This picture depicts past versus present because it shows people from bible times getting mad at the guys from recent time because the constitution is not fair to any one besides rich white people. And these rich white people are protecting a vault and in the next picture it shows how there is a white man and a black man opening a vault to all kinds of people showing everyone now having their full rights. The last example is a picture of black hands in chains and handcuffs, and beside it is a picture of a flyer and it is talking about how women should have the right to vote. The text box says, “Still, to know the legacy of political exclusion that once existed in the constitution is to have a greater insight on the most unflattering chapters of the nation’s history” (Hennessey 203). This picture depicts past versus present because it shows the past political situation of slavery and the more recent political problem of how women do not have many rights. Both black people and women have been through tremendous political turmoil. This panel does a good job of how the constitution has changed from this horrible unfair system in the past to and equal and fair government in today’s society. This paragraph is way too long  - consolidate or break into similar ideas. 

Even though both of these panels are part of the same graphic novel, they have very different motifs. Both of these motifs have something to do with the constitution. It connects back to the constitution because it talks about how private and public sectors work together and how different governmental policies have changed from the past to the present. While the private sector has more money the public sector has more access to technology and that is how they work together. And all together political policies have improved compared to how it used to be. Without the visuals in this novel one would not be able to determine the visual motifs. And without these motifs this novel is just a book with random pictures. The motifs help find symbols and how symbolism is important in novels.
