How may personal narrative function as a tool for meaningful political change? How can artists effectively address narratives of physical and psychological trauma while still interacting with their audience, and how has this been successful in the past? What role can humor play in dire narratives? Finally, how can memoir help counter trauma-related isolation and who does it ultimately serve?

My inquiry into Feminist Narrative, Trauma and the Graphic Novel explores how Graphic Novel distinguishes itself as an ideal medium to navigate difficult and even taboo subject matter. This paper examines the efficacy of Graphic Novel in addressing difficult topics through analyses of existing works and its current use in medical practices; and ways in which the relationship between text and image make can such terrain as rape, post-traumatic stress disorder, disability and serious illness not merely palatable, but accessible and even captivating.