Woodcut and Graphic Novels: The Hope in Hands and Labor

Abstract

 In both woodcut and graphic novels, there is a message of hope at the end, as well as a sense of agency through the images of hands. Woodcut novels like Frans Masereel’s Die Passion Eines Menschen and Lynd Ward’s Wild Pilgrimage give the working class a voice and highlight labor through the creation of the medium. Later graphic novels like Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home continue to highlight the working class and the concept of labor through the image of hands.