Silence in the graphic novel

The current study aims at highlighting argumentative silences in the graphic novel, illustrated here by Diaz Canales and Guarnido (2005). In the graphic novel silence occurs, mostly, when the narrator promotes the showing over the telling (within the frame) and when, between the frames creating a sequence, the reader/observer is devoid of information (either visual or textual). None of these cases represents a failure of communication. On the contrary, the reader/observer has the opportunity to experience various modes of reasoning that may be applied to support or justify conclusions. The reader/observer is, accordingly, intensely involved in the process of constructing meaning.