Expressive Paper 2

Aesun Kim

John Lovas

Ewrit 1C (H) - Expressive Paper 2

May 18, 2004

Maus (I): Immersing Into a Narrative of the Past and Present in One Sitting

The strength in Art Spiegelman's Maus (I) lies in the written approach he took to portray not only the personal events of the Holocaust as witnessed by his father, but also the account of the repercussions and effects within the family of survivors. In a typical comic book, the pages are driven by humor. In the case of Spiegelman's work, Maus (I) presents itself in a humorous medium to convey a somber subject. Similar to metafictional works, Spiegelman takes on the method of describing his writing approach within the final product. The constant present-to-past-to-present chronological fluctuations detaches the reader from being fully absorbed into the Holocaust memories of Vladek, his father, for too long. Distancing the reader from the characters, Spiegelman detaches from the events of the Holocaust for a greater focus on the influence of the tragedy many years later. The forte of this graphic novel is its ability to keep the reader in an objective distance from the events while at the same time keeping the reader deeply immersed when the events are described; this way, the reader finishes the graphic novel with a multi-faceted perspective of the historical tragedy.

On a visible level, Spiegelman's use of animals who are personified is fitting in the way his comic book can be seen as a fable. Instead of viewing his work as a fabricated Holocaust account, it detaches the reader from the characters. Spiegelman could have certainly used human beings in this work and the reader could have possibly even related more to the characters. Nonetheless, the method of defining different ethnicities to different animals implies how there will always be a degree of miscommunication and lack of understanding between the reader and the mice (the Jews). Furthermore, the pictorial representations of the mice show facial expressions that do not go beyond a pair of eyes and a nose (with occasional detail of eyebrows). Spiegelman's choice to draw emotionless characters allows the reader to develop their own premise over their own sentiments toward the characters. Although the graphics provide obvious connections between the event and the account, this is only an unadorned layer to his literary piece. It is still the writing and the story of Spiegelman that instills any sense of emotion in the reader, rather than the drawings.

Similarly, Spiegelman's writing approach of transferring the reader from the present day to the past prohibits the reader from being fully immersed into the accounts of the Holocaust. There is a sense that the main purpose of this graphic novel isn't driven by the goal to draw awareness over the historical past; rather it is propelled by the goal to expose the grand picture of the past and present. In the present day drawings, there is a constant sense of tension and strain between Artie and Vladek -- one not seen before the Holocaust. Behaviors have changed due to the Holocaust in both of Artie's parents. Anja, Artie's mother, commits suicide, leaving Artie to grow up with a compulsively neat, tightfisted, difficult father. Spiegelman incorporates his earlier work, “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” within Maus (I), to reflect the death of Anja. Towards the end, the Anja metaphorically is murdered when Artie burns all her diaries out of grief. The difficulties between the survivors and families of the survivors of the Holocaust are further shown in the present-day relationship between Mala and Vladek and also that of Vladek and Artie. Vladek and Artie’s relationship, in particular, revolves around the making of this comic book. Rarely do they meet to just spend time together. When Vladek calls to ask for help with his drain pipe, Artie chooses to disregard his father’s request and brushes it off with, “No way -- I’d rather feel guilty! Besides, I’m too busy, and he can easily afford to hire somebody” (97). Sadly enough, Artie is never too busy when it comes to his own self-interests and he needs to go to his father’s house to work on his graphic novel. Ironically, even though the burdens from the Holocaust may have encouraged the development of halfhearted familial relationships, it is the telling of Vladek’s Holocaust account that brings both of them a bit closer together again.

Evidently, the metafictional (although it is not fiction) approach taken by Spiegelman provides a comprehensive depiction of the Holocaust account and the outcomes of the lives of the survivors and the survivor’s family members. Even though the initial mouse illustration of the characters detaches the reader from relating to the characters, it is in fact Spiegelman’s authentication of detail that instills a sense of truth and reality. Especially since this comic book is not intended to merely provide entertainment with fabricated Holocaust stories, it is important that Spiegelman brings in actual, everyday details. Had Maus (I) been written without the back-and-forth exchange between Artie and Vladek, it would difficult to tell whether or not it was based solely on a true account. The seemingly insignificant discussion and interaction about what should and should not be included; what would and would not be appropriate; the dismal relationship between father and son; the meticulous account of a mother’s suicide; the obsessive-compulsive behavior of the father; the self-interest of an aspiring writer; the approving interchange in time, and numerous other details is what drives this graphic novel to its highest merit and appeal.

Works Cited
Spiegelman, Art. Maus I: My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.