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1. Cece Bell begins the narrative by stating, "I was a regular little kid" (1). What examples does she provide for her conclusion?

After stating that she was "a regular little kid" (1), Bell depicts through illustrations and text that she liked to watch television with her older brother Ashley and her older sister Sarah. The theme song from Batman is emanating from the television, with the author writing "BatMAN" (1) surrounded by musical notes to indicate this fact. Cece also states that she liked to ride on the back of her father's bicycle, that she loved to find caterpillars with her friend Emma, and that she liked to sing Beatles songs.

2. Discuss how and when Bell makes it clear that the novel has serious themes, despite its status as a graphic novel.

Sometimes readers make the mistake of thinking that graphic novels are only for children, that they are always light in mood, and that they cannot qualify as serious literature. Bell's El Deafo is one of many graphic novels that cleverly uses its simple and childlike illustrations in juxtaposition with its serious thematic messages, in order to serve the overall goals of the text. Bell wastes no time in alerting the reader to this fact when Cece, the anthropomorphic rabbit at the center of the story, starts to vomit uncontrollably while spending time at home with her family. Her parents rush her to the hospital and Bell includes a close-up of the doctor putting a needle into Cece's back in an apparent spinal tap.

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