Y-The+Last+Man

=Y-The Last Man=

The story begins with a worldwide plague that simultaneously kills every living thing with a Y-chromosome, except for one man and his pet monkey. Yorick Brown is supposedly the last man on Earth. Yorick is assigned Agent 355 as his bodyguard to find a brilliant geneticist Doctor Allison Mann to help uncover what really happened the day the male population of the planet died. Before reaching the doctor, Yorick and Agent 355 run across a gang of women who refer to themselves as Amazons. They welcome the elimination of the patriarchal system, since they brand men as abominations, rapists, dictators, and serial killers. The Amazons believe that the world is better off without men, and that Mother Earth eradicated them for a reason. They see Yorick as the last remnant of oppression and try to kill him. With the help of Agent 355, Yorick escapes and finds Dr. Mann. The Doctor’s lab is destroyed by another party. An Israeli task force, with help from a mysterious source in Washington, is also hunting down Yorick. The group begins making its way to California where Dr. Mann has another laboratory. We also learn that Yorick’s sister, Hero, has become a 'daughter' of the Amazons. It is suggested that the traumatic events of the gendercide has deeply affected Hero. Through numerous circumstances Yorick, Agent 355, and Dr. Mann end up in Marrisville, a small town that is comprised entirely of released female convicts. Yorick develops a mutual attraction towards a member of the town, Sonia. The Amazons attack and Sonia saves Yorick’s life, but she is killed by Hero. Yorick is devastated and cannot come to terms with how much his sister has changed. The group continues their journey to California. Likewise, the reader is informed that there are still astronauts alive aboard the international space station.
 * Synopsis**

Recommended Grade 11/12 College/University
 * Grade Level**
 * I have seen my grade nine students reading the graphic novel in class during FVR (free voluntary reading).


 * Textual**
 * Y-The Last Man is a graphic novel, and for some students this may be their first time reading such a text. I would need to cover some of the conventions of graphic novels and explain some strategies about effectively reading such texts.
 * The story was originally serialized so that each issue is viewed as a chapter following several story arcs. The complete series encompasses 60 issues
 * Elements of the Grotesque - Members of the Amazons burn off one of their breasts just like their ancient Greek counterparts. It apparently makes it easier to fire arrows. Likewise, it outwardly identifies members of the gang. It also shows commitment. Membership provides food and protection.
 * Tropes of Literature –blends together a large number of genres (War, Love Story, Spy/Thriller, Theatre, Comedy, Horror and Science Fiction)

Inter-texuality
 * Shakespeare - Yorrick, the deceased court jester exhumed by the grave digger in Hamlet. “a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy” – sets up expectations for the main character
 * Mary Shelley – The Last Man – A novel about the end of the world due to a plague. –possible inspiration
 * Numerous pop-culture references


 * Social**
 * The story explores gender construction and performance. It also looks at issues of inequality and preconceived notions about men and women. It challenges and subverts the social expectations of gender.
 * Gender blurring. Some female characters are seen as very masculine. Yorrick has many feminine qualities, not a stereotypical male character.
 * Challenges stereotypes (what is considered male and female)
 * What are stereotypes, why do we have/use them? What do they provide?


 * Cultural**
 * Issues of Ethics/Morality
 * Cloning
 * Issues of Race/Narrative/Voice – racism still prevalent, some problems gone, most remain
 * Black female perspective – Agent 355 (strong female character, Yorrick’s protector/bodyguard)
 * Japanese female perspective – Doctor Allison Mann (highly educated bioengineer, trying to determine the cause of the gendercide and why Yorick and Ampersand survived)
 * White male perspective – Yorick Brown (an escape artist)
 * The story disputes and questions cultural expectations of gender.
 * Gender dichotomy deconstructed (gender a spectrum, a new perspective, still exists despite the lack of men)


 * Topical**
 * Language Conventions
 * Gender specific (pussy, cunt, dick) – man alive, grow a pair; you’re a dead man, etc.
 * Issues of emasculation (derogatory language)
 * Apocalypse - The world is completely changed due to an unknown phenomenon. Women are seen as liberated from a patriarchal society. What does this say about female empowerment? They are forced into this new setting without a choice. Untold billions are killed (men and women) by the gendercide.
 * Chaos - Jobs and positions previously held by men, such as commercial pilots, truck drivers, ship captains, mechanics, electricians, and construction workers are all dead. How soon will things go back to normal, is it possible for things to return to normal. Has normal been redefined?
 * Mythology - Amazons – an ancient Greek sisterhood of warriors – assuming new roles
 * Extreme Feminism – vast majority of women in the graphic novel do not agree with their motives of practices. Their mission is to destroy any remaining symbols of the old patriarchal society. The Washington Monument (a phallic symbol) is redefined as a monument to all men who died in the plague. The Amazons deface the monument with graffiti. They also do not hesitate to kill women who fiercely reject their teachings. Transgendered individuals are also targeted for being reminders of the dead oppressors of women.


 * Issues/Challenges**
 * The story is about a world devoid of men. However, the stories point of view predominately comes from the only male character. Likewise, the author of the graphic novel is also male. Can a male author provide an accurate portrayal of female characters? The artist is female, what does this say?
 * The text is a mature graphic novel. Some panels display acts of graphic violence and profane language. Likewise, there are some instances where there is explicit nudity of both male and female characters. Some students and parents may feel uncomfortable dealing with these issues.
 * Yorick uses a number of pop culture references throughout the story. I do not expect most of my students to understand them. I myself do not catch all of them.
 * How does my own personal bias towards the text affect my teaching? I really enjoyed this story. A lot of it had to do with being able to relate to the main character. I am assuming that other individuals will enjoy it as well. It is male centered, however, the entire story is saturated with a large number of interesting female characters. How will my passion for this work of literature affect my ability to teach it? How will I react to students that do not feel a connection to the text?

In groups, students will create a story board on poster paper for the upcoming Y The Last Man feature film. From these storyboards, students will film an actual trailer and present it, with their storyboards to the class. For the trailer, students are allowed complete freedom (live action, stop motion, ect.), but the trailer needs to be between 2 and 3 minutes in length. Students will also be required to provide a reflection on why they chose the scenes they used and how their target audience is. This culminating activity will cover a wide range of curriculum expectations including reading and writing skills (metacognition), oral communication (speaking to communicate) and creating and understanding media texts (purpose and audience).
 * Assignment**