Wednesday, November 14, 2012

The Cover

This is the cover on my edition of Mona. Every time I see it it grabs my attention. I think it’s really interesting because it’s basically a sea of American flags surrounding this one, small picture of a face. But it's not an actual face it's just eyes, specifically, eyes that are different to what is considered the norm by American mainstream society.

What do you think is the significance of focusing on this single feature? Why not show the entire face or entire body? Why all of the American flags?
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousNovember 15, 2012 at 11:50 AM

    I think that the focus on the eyes comes from both an emotional and physical aspect. I hate to say it, but when people tend to physically stereotype or mock Asians, they go for the slanted eyes. I think the American flags are meant to be a little visually overpowering. They almost make an illusion, perhaps a commentary on the ideas of the "American dream."

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  2. AnonymousNovember 19, 2012 at 10:20 AM

    I agree with Julie, but I would like to add that embedding Mona's eyes in the field of American flags illustrates her desire to find her place in American society.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 19, 2012 at 10:36 PM

    I think both Julie and Maya make great points about this cover. The eyes are the most known stereotypical aesthetic aspect of Asians and are therefore the most eye catching aspect to draw attention to the book. In the midst of the American flags, there is one stereotypical Asian face, showing both her desire to blend in as well as the way immigrants are changing the face of America. While America started out as a uniform country with the idea of the "melting pot" and everyone blending to become "American" this cover shows how the definition of "American" is changing. The flags are the old, uniform America, while her face is the new, diverse face of America.

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