Analysing Comics: Power Dynamics in David Roman's Critique of Parental Dismissal of Children's Reading Choices (IB Past Paper November 2025)
In this comic strip, David Roman critiques how parents often dismiss their children’s passion for comic books. Using techniques like characterization, panel layouts, speech bubbles, irony, and narrative, Roman illustrates how a dismissive parental attitude can stifle a child’s joy and self-expression.
The comic critiques how adults misuse their authority to dismiss and belittle children’s interests, particularly through the depiction of a power imbalance. For example, the adult is drawn with exaggerated, sharp features, such as large glasses and a stern expression, is consistently positioned towering over the child, symbolizing dominance and judgment. In contrast, the child’s smaller stature, rounded features, and wide-eyed expressions convey vulnerability and defenselessness. Another example is the adult’s dismissive dialogue, such as “This is baby stuff!” and “Don’t expect to be as smart as me,” reflects a condescending tone that invalidates the child’s enjoyment, while the child’s polite yet resigned response, “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” underscores his lack of power. A final example, the juxtaposition of perspectives, specifically the adult’s critique of comics as “confusing” and inferior versus the child’s discovery that the comic is his “favorite book ever”, highlights the unfair invalidation of personal experiences. Through this power imbalance, Roman challenges societal judgments that trivialize children’s interests and invites readers to reconsider the legitimacy of diverse perspectives.
The panel layout and composition emphasize the power imbalance between the adult and the child through visual hierarchy and spatial positioning. In nearly every panel, the adult is drawn larger and positioned higher, symbolizing his dominance. For example, in the panel where the adult swipes the comic from the child, his arm extends across the frame, cutting into the child’s space and visually asserting his authority. Meanwhile, the child is depicted as physically smaller, often looking up at the adult, which conveys his vulnerability. The close-up of the adult’s stern face, with his furrowed brows and sharp features, contrasts with the wide shot of the child standing slumped and diminutive, reinforcing the disparity in power. The background is often left blank or minimal, focusing attention on the characters and their interactions, further emphasizing the imbalance. The visual contrasts in layout and positioning reflect the adult’s dominance and the child’s helplessness.
The speech bubbles and typography reinforce the power dynamics and the adult’s dismissive tone. The adult’s speech bubbles are larger and placed higher in the frame, visually mirroring his position of authority. His dialogue is bold and filled with dismissive language, such as “This is baby stuff!” and “Don’t expect to be as smart as me,” which belittles the child’s interests and intelligence. The child’s speech bubbles, in contrast, are smaller and positioned lower, corresponding to his hesitant and resigned tone with responses like “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” The use of the bold, capitalized onomatopoeia “SWIPE!” as the adult takes the comic from the child conveys the abruptness and aggression of the act, reinforcing the imbalance in their interaction. The typography and speech bubble design visually and textually represent the adult’s dominance and the child’s submission.
Facial expressions and visual cues further depict the power imbalance and emotional impact of the interaction. The adult’s exaggerated features—such as his sharp glasses, furrowed brows, and smirk—are drawn to emphasize his condescension and self-assuredness. For instance, in the panel where he declares, “This is baby stuff!” his smug smile and raised eyebrows convey his dismissive attitude, as if he feels unquestionably superior. In contrast, the child’s expressions are much softer and more vulnerable; his wide eyes and slightly open mouth in response to the adult’s remarks suggest confusion and discomfort. When the adult swipes the comic, the child’s slouched shoulders and downcast gaze show his emotional resignation, visually representing the weight of the interaction. The adult’s body language also reinforces his authority—his upright posture, gestures that take up space, and the act of snatching the comic all symbolize control. These visual and emotional cues deepen the reader’s understanding of the dynamic.
The comic employs irony to challenge the adult’s authority and expose his ignorance. The adult’s confident dismissal of the comic as “baby stuff” and “confusing” is juxtaposed with the child’s eventual declaration that it is his “favorite book ever.” This reversal highlights the adult’s inability to appreciate or understand the value of the comic, despite his self-assured tone. The child’s personal connection with the comic, depicted in the final panel where he is shown smiling while holding it, directly contradicts the adult’s earlier criticism. The irony is further emphasized by the visual contrast between the two characters: while the adult is portrayed with a smug and rigid demeanor, the child’s genuine joy in the final panel underscores the authenticity of his experience. This use of irony critiques the adult’s judgmental attitude and reinforces the idea that authority figures are not always correct in their dismissals.
The narrative progression highlights the resilience of individual perspectives in the face of dismissive authority. The story begins with the adult’s harsh critique of the comic, illustrated by his condescending remarks such as, “You’ll never understand real books if you read this junk.” This sets the stage for the child’s emotional journey, where he initially appears resigned, replying with, “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind,” while visually slouching and looking down. However, the narrative shifts as the child rereads the comic on his own, shown in a panel where he is seated on the floor, engrossed in the story, with a soft smile on his face. The progression culminates in the final panel, where the child triumphantly declares, “This is my favorite book ever!” with a wide grin, showing his personal discovery and joy. The juxtaposition between the adult’s dismissal and the child’s ultimate appreciation of the comic reinforces the theme of resilience and the importance of valuing individual experiences. Through this progression, the comic critiques the limitations of imposed authority and celebrates personal growth.
David Roman’s comic strip is effective in illustrating how adults dismiss children’s passions, but this portrayal is limited in its impact. The power imbalance, while the text’s most salient feature in conveying the purpose, oversimplifies the situation, reducing the adult to a generic figure of authority without exploring their perspective or motivations. In doing so, it limits the child to a passive role, failing to show their potential for resilience or growth, which weakens the overall message of self-expression and individuality.
