Decoding Graphic Narrative: A Sentiment Analysis of Reader Engagement in Amruta Patil’s Kari

Graphic narratives, with their interplay of visual and textual elements, offer a powerfulmedium for storytelling, engaging readers on both cognitive and emotional levels. AmrutaPatil’s Kari exemplifies this through its intricate use of visual intelligence, where metaphors,symbols, and artistic choices shape the reader’s perception of the protagonist’s identitystruggle and survival in a heteronormative society. However, despite the increasing scholarlyinterest in graphic narratives, there remains a gap in understanding how visual storytellinginfluences reader reception, particularly in terms of emotional and cognitive engagement.This study seeks to address this gap by analyzing Kari through the lens of Graphic NarrativeTheory and Neil Cohn’s Visual Language Theory (VLT), investigating how readers interpretand respond to its visual and textual elements.This research employs sentiment analysis as a methodological tool to assess emotionalpolarity and subjectivity in reader responses, providing a computational approach to under-standing the novel’s reception. The findings reveal that while Kari elicits predominantlypositive sentiments, there exists a duality in interpretation—some readers deeply connectwith its artistic and metaphorical depth, while others find its abstract narrative challengingto decipher. This highlights the crucial role of visual literacy in decoding graphic narratives,demonstrating that comprehension of visual storytelling significantly impacts the perceptionof the protagonist’s journey.Ultimately, this study contributes to the broader discourse on graphic novels as a complex and evolving literary form, emphasizing their potential to serve as cognitive-emotionallandscapes that challenge traditional storytelling structures. By examining how visual intelligence in Kari shapes reader engagement, this research underscores the necessity of fosteringvisual literacy to enhance the reception and appreciation of graphic novels, further advocating for their recognition in contemporary literary and academic discourse.