Why MAUS? There is a difference between bearing witness and telling a narrative. Bearing witness occurs when the person him/herself was there to experience the events. Telling a narrative is when a secondary source is used or when a person who was there but not an actual participant in events narrates.
A novel about bearing witness to bearing witness There are a decreasing number of people left to bear witness to the events of the holocaust. The novel MAUS is a son’s attempt to narrate his father’s experiences but also bear witness to the relationship the two men have. Artie, the son, is trying to understand Vladek and what he lived through in an attempt to understand himself and how it affects him today.
Let’s Talk about Taxonomy Is it… Fiction? Non-Fiction? Novel? Comic Book? Memoir? Biography? Autobiography? Nobody seems really clear on this point. The Boston Globe and Publisher’s Weekly list it as non-fiction. The Washington Post and The New York Times originally listed it as fiction. Spiegelman himself suggests “non-fiction/mice.”
Taxonomy (cont’d) The debate was so strong as to divide newspaper editors. One NYT editor was purported to say, “let's ring Spiegelman's doorbell. If a giant mouse answers, we'll put Maus in nonfiction.” In truth, Maus is both all of these genres and none. It transcends categorization.
longer serious issues Graphic Novel Graphic Novel- A novel with images similar to a comic book. Graphic novels are ______________________ than an ordinary comic book and tend to deal with more ___________________________. longer serious issues
Maus I—My Father Bleeds History Overview Title: Maus I—My Father Bleeds History Author: Art Spiegelman Published: 1973 through 1991 Category: Nonfiction Graphic Novel Memoir Biography Historical
Maus I My Father Bleeds History Art Spiegelman Born in 1948 in Stockholm, Sweden, Art Spiegelman is a naturalized U.S. citizen. While growing up, Spiegelman lived with his parents in Rego Park in the Queens section of New York City. From 1966 to 1989 he worked for Topps Chewing Gum, Inc. illustrating trading cards and stickers including the Garbage Pail Kids series. He has written many comix (underground comics), worked as a New Yorker staff artist and writer, and been a lecturer and teacher at various times in his career. His work has been the subject of special museum and gallery exhibits both in the U.S. and abroad. Maus earned him a special Pulitzer Prize.
Maus I—My Father Bleeds History Summary Maus is a story within a story: Art Spiegelman, the son of two survivors of the Holocaust, tells how he interviewed his father Vladek about his Holocaust experience, and it tells the story of the father's persecution and survival. It is written in a comic book format, with various types of animals representing the various nationalities and religions (however, Jews are mice, no matter what nationality they are).
Primary Source Significance? One individualized account pre-war Jewish life; the layout and workings of Auschwitz (the worst concentration camp); the euphemistic language particular to Auschwitz; survival and resistance; liberation and the aftermath of war.
Characters Francoise Mouly: Art(ie Spiegelman): Author/Narrator & son of Vladek Spiegelman Vladek Spiegelman: Father of Art & Survivor of the Holocaust Anja Spiegelman: 1st wife of Vladek Spiegelman, mother of Art and Richieu. Mala Spiegelman: 2nd wife of Vladek Spiegelman, survivor of the Holocaust. Francoise Mouly: Wife of Art. Although she is French. Art also draws her as a mouse because she converted to Judaism.
Visual Metaphor Any visual symbol or picture that is used to represent something else. Visual Metaphors are often used in political cartoons.
Some Poles have found the pig metaphor to be offensive Some Poles have found the pig metaphor to be offensive. Spiegelman relates a conversation he had with a member of the Polish press:
Criticism "[A Polish press attaché] said, 'Do you realize that it is a terrible insult to call a Pole a pig? It's worse than it even sounds in English. Do you realize that the Germans called us schwein [pigs]?'
Art’s Response So I said, 'Yeah, and the Germans called us vermin. These aren't my metaphors. These are Hitler's.' And that gave us common ground. I pointed out that, in the book, there are Jews who act admirably-but there are many Jews in the book who don't. These are just people wearing masks. And the same is true of the Poles. There are some Poles who saved my parents' lives and who were very kind, and there were some who were swine."
Maus I—My Father Bleeds History General Characters The Jews are represented by mice. The Germans are represented by cats. The Americans are represented by dogs. The Poles are represented by pigs. Maus II The Roma (Gypsies) are represented as gypsy moths. The British are represented by fish. The child of a Jew and a German is shown as a mouse with cat stripes.
List characteristics of a… Hitler called them ‘vermin’. They hid They saved their food. Small and insignificant.
List characteristics of a… Hitler called them ‘pigs’. followers Lazy, indifferent brutal, strong
List characteristics of a… Cats kill and hunt down mice
List characteristics of a… Loyal / rescuers Dogs chase cats
"The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human.” –Hitler Visual Metaphors in Maus: The depiction of characters This quote is written on the copyright page of Maus, why do you think the author placed it there? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________