Unsilently Crushing: a Didactic Proposal Through a Wordless Novel

Abstract

The article, moving from the preference of young people for stories that are characterized by crossmediality and multimodality, focuses on a genre that enhances the iconic code, setting aside the verbal one: wordless novel. Born in the 1920s, it continues to be widespread, allowing you to explore narrative universes in a new and inclusive way. The article focuses on a pedagogical reflection on Crushing, a recent work by Sophie Burrows (2021), which addresses key issues for adolescents: fear of loneliness, lack of communication, desire to meet. Wordless texts have been promoted for years in the pedagogical field because they foster inferential processes and stimulate comprehension skills through the use of visual metaphorical constructs; they encourage the interpretive ability through five educational advantages: the adoption of a universal and democratic language; the activation of the reader’s protagonism; hospitality understood as taking care of others; attention to diversity; and openness to beauty.