Maus By Art Spiegelman Art Spiegelman Born 15
Maus By Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman �Born 15 February 1948 �American cartoonist and comics advocate based in NYC �Published Maus in two parts, 1986 and 1991 �Maus won the Pulitzer Prize �“In the Shadow of No Towers was his graphic novel about September 11 th �Appeared in a 2007 episode of The Simpsons as himself
Maus �Completed in 1991 �Depicts Art Spiegelman interviewing his father, Vladek, about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor �Uses different animals to portray a variety of races �Much of the story revolves around Spiegelman’s troubled relationship with his father �Inner-story – Vladek’s experiences during the Holocaust in the 1930 s and 1940 s �Outer-story – Art interviewing and interacting with Vladek throughout the 1970 s and early 1980 s
Covers �Warm and Cool color usage �Cool – Blues and grays �Warm – Yellows and Red �Basic color theory dictates that cool colors tend to fade into the background while warm colors pop to the front �Significance of warm/cool colors on front and back covers of Maus I?
Directional Movements �Most of Maus has traditional comic book movement (horizontal). The panels read from left to right across a page and then go down (Page 11 is an example of that) �Occasionally though, Spiegelman uses nontraditional arrangements of panels that move from outer to inner, top to bottom, etc �Page 61 is an example of this �While reading, make sure to track similarity of composition, repetition of objects/characters, relative size of panels, presence/absence of frames, etc
Fractured Narrative/Unreliable �The inner and outer story is very, very important. You need to learn to recognize who is speaking and when �Spiegelman will move back and forth between the two timelines �Must track visual clues to stay aware of when/where we are �Unreliable Narrator �Vladek forgets things, acts differently in the two different timelines, etc
Voyeurism of Graphic Novel �Comic format manipulates reading speed in a way that books struggle to �Complex visuals force readers to slow down �Panels that are very “busy” tend to be extremely important �Take your time and slow down when the artist is giving you clues that you really need to be paying attention �Seeing what the artist sees
Visual Animal Metaphor �Mice – Jews, referred to as vermin by the Nazis throughout 1930 s and 1940 s. Maus has assonance with Auschwitz, Juden Raus (Jews Out!), and is a play on Judenrat (name of the Jewish council). Hunted by Cats �Cats – Nazis. Hunters of mice. �Dogs – Americans. Natural enemies of Cats. Called “Mongrel Race” by Hitler �Pigs – Polish. Pigs are not-kosher, therefore, non -Jewish �Reindeer – Swedes, playing on stereotypes �Moths – Gypsies, very flighty, don’t stay in one place
Big Ideas to Watch Out For �Anja as a non-character. Vladek’s first wife/Art’s mother. �She is a “glaring void” throughout Maus. A black hole of a character. She’s there…but not really. Draws our attention, but we never really see/know her. �Contrast between Old/Young Vladeks. Why the difference? �Vladek is unreliable as a narrator �Vladek is changed by the Holocaust �Vladek has aged ungracefully �Conflicting Loyalties – Characters are often forced to choose between their own survival and those
Big Ideas to Watch Out For, Cont’d �Use of English – �Vladek is only person who speaks with an accent in the outer story. Even the other Holocaust survivors speak “Normal” English �In inner story, Vladek’s knowledge of English often helps him survive �Memory – �Much like Night, Maus is a book about memory and the importance of memorializing the Holocaust
Maus I Vocabulary �Sanitarium �Anti-semitic �Governess �Glaucoma �Ghetto �Zloty �Neurotic �Bunker �Mar Mitzvah �Recuperate • Gemeinde • Aryan • Kombinator • Gestapo • Caricature
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