The Myth of the Student Hero and the “Dreaded Lit Review”

Ego

In Seanna Duong's comic, Seanna first shows herself with a sparkle in her eye and an egocentric sense of self and infallibility; this is represented through the rational logic of lists. Seanna thinks that she is superior to the task and superior to her fellow students. Seanna seeks "victory," "eternal glory and honor," where she "get[s] an A in the class" and "laughs at others." However, after faltering on initial assignments, Seanna realizes that she "would have to re-think [her] checklist." In the new "more realistic checklist," Seanna acknowledges her limitations. In one sense, the second checklist is a critique of the false logic of her own out-of-control ego.

In this image, Seanna's drawing of herself shows herself as something of a prisoner to her own ego. The series of vertical bars on her head suggests she is a prisoner to her own consciousness; similarly, the horizontal lines on her shirt suggest the uniform of a jailed convict. Her downturned face and the sweat dripping from her brow all suggest the student as a pitiable mess.

And this is exactly as Seanna shows herself: dirty, grungy, surrounded by trash as flies buzz around her. She feels helpless and clueless.

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