Date of Award

5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

English

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Jeffrey Gonzalez

Committee Member

Adam Rzepka

Committee Member

Fawzia Afzal-Khan

Abstract

This paper seeks to analyze common trends in the Muslim Young Adult graphic novels Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy and the Ms. Marvel comics by G. Willow Wilson. The main characters, Huda and Kamala, respectively, struggle to define their own identities beyond being Muslim as well as figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and how they wish to represent themselves. The common themes found within these novels include this question of identity as well as exploring family bonds, navigating romantic interests, and building strong groups of friends. These characters are trying to find a way to incorporate their cultural and religious backgrounds with their American identity without compromising either their faith or quality of life. Examining these trends through the Muslim main characters featured in these graphic novels is worthwhile because it shows how these conventional Young Adult themes can be viewed with religious and cultural lenses, as well as how they can be represented visually in the comic form.

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