Mielen ja ruumiin pyörteissä. Kokemuksellisuus Kati Kovácsin sarjakuvateoksessa Karu selli

The article explores the medium-specific qualities of graphic narration for representing experientiality. Kati Kovács’ graphic narrative Karu selli (“Carousel”, 1996) utilizes a variety of experimental formal means for conveying the psychological development story of a jealous housewife. The theoretical point of departure is the concept of experientiality by Monica Fludernik who stresses the importance of experience as the defining quality of narratives. In order to analyze the formal structure of the book the writer applies the theory of spatio-topicality by Thierry Groensteen. As Groensteen suggests, the analysis of a graphic narrative must consider how the spatial layout of the pages is utilized in delivering the story and guiding the reader. In Kovács’ book, the space of the page is used as a narrative layer to convey the experiences of the character. Analogous relation between the structural space of the page and the story space supports the movement of the character in the story world. In addition, Kovács’ book utilizes symbolic frames in order to represent the emotions of the character, or alternatively, the stance of the narrator. The reoccurring symbolic creatures in the frames, such as snakes, worms, and insects, emphasize the subjective nature of the story. At the end of the book, the reader finds out that most of the events have taken place only inside the mind of the protagonist. The mental carousel – to which the name refers – of the main character is represented by using a wide range of symbolic, verbal, visual and spatial means. By analyzing the book with narratological concepts and tools from comics theory the writer aims to show the potential of graphic narratives as an object of narratological analysis