March Literary Elements

Graphic Novel, Autobiographical, Historical

In the present time, the novel is set in the Canon House Office Building. The historical accounts are mostly set in Alabama.

First-person narration from the perspective of John Lewis

Candid, Impassioned, Informative, Hopeful

The protagonist is John Lewis and the civil rights movement. The antagonist is the injustices and systemic racism the civil rights movement were fighting against.

The major conflict is the difficult process the civil rights activists and protestors had to take to fight for the civil liberties of the black community.

The climax of the book could be the Birmingham Church Bombing by members of the Ku Klux Klan of which contributed to and accelerated the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The childhood story of Lewis handling the chicken duties on the farm foreshadows Lewis’ leadership qualities as a civil rights leader.

The book opens with Hosea Williams asking John Lewis whether he can swim as the troopers approached the bridge. This is an understatement bearing in mind the ensuing bloody confrontation that is about to occur.

It alludes to several historical occurrences during the civil rights movement including the March on Washington, the Freedom Rides, Mississippi Freedom Summer, and Selma to Montgomery marches.

As a graphic novel, the illustrator incorporates strong imageries to convey the weight and magnitude of the racial injustices and the civil rights movement respectively. For instance the imagery of Emmett Till’s death, Bloody Sunday, and the violence during sit-ins.

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The book parallels present-day America in the wake of Barrack Obama’s election and the 1950s and 1960s America during civil rights protests.

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In Book 1 Lewis personifies the chickens on their farm by giving them names and preaching to them.