Maus Essay

Maus Paper Art Spiegelman’s Maus, is a unique way of looking at history. Through the use of comics, Spiegelman allows the reader to draw their own conclusions within the parameters of the panes of the comic. Unlike reading a textbook in which the author describes every detail about the subject matter, comics allow for the reader to draw their own conclusions from the information given to them. Also by reading a serious comic such as Maus, we are able to break away from Maus has an interesting way in approaching a historical account such as the relationship with his father and the Holocaust. One of the most interesting aspects of Maus is the way in which Spiegelman uses animals to distinguish the various races within the comic book. Apiegelman uses animals instead of humans because unlike humans, animals are universal in the way they appear and are not as complex. At the beginning of Maus, it was difficult to know what animal represented each of the races. However, after Vladek and his family enters Bielsko for Vladek’s factory business, it becomes clear who the main characters are and what each of them represent. (Maus I, 31) Thus, the mice represent the Jews while the cats are equivalent to the Germans. With these two animals in the same area is bound to create a disturbance of the peace within the community. Just like in real life, cats prey on mice, in comparison, the Germans were only doing what was instinctive to them, exterminate the Jews. It might sound harsh, but Spiegelman wants to make it clear that Germans were ruthless and careless in their actions during this time. Not only did Spiegelman creatively used animals in his comic to show the instinctive behavior of the animals, but also to show that there was a kind of unity within the parameters of the different races, yet how disadvantaged some races were, such as the Jews. If Spiegelman were to use human like features in his comic book, we would be able to relate more closely with