Week 5: A Contract With God by Will Eisner


A Contract With God, written by Will Eisner, is often referred to as the first modern graphic novel, which was a term Eisner himself helped popularize. The story is set a neighborhood in the Bronx and examines the world of immigrant life in New York City in the 1930s. Drawn with pen and ink, A Contract With God is considered a semi-autobiographical work, capturing the drama of the city and its inhabitants. Will Eisner displays a specific narrative approach to graphic storytelling in this novel, having much to do with conveying strong emotions, stereotypes, as well as including a theme of religion and faith. Faith plays a strong role in this story as the man takes on dealing with faith in God, friends, family, and ultimately humanity. His story also relies heavily on stereotypes, believing that “in order to believe the action of the story, the reader has to swallow a lot of stereotypes.” These stereotypes include displaying women as desperate beings who desire status and male attention, as well as mythologizing his characters’ predicaments, over exaggerating many aspects. I love the style of this graphic novel and how each frame takes up a full page. It allows you to see each and every detail and pull you further into the story. 

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