This week, I was introduced to MAUS: A Survivor’s Tale by
Art Spiegelman, and from the front page, it’s obvious the reference this book makes
towards the Holocaust. Spiegelman’s art creates the perfect contrast between
cat and mouse, and the Nazis and the Jewish community, respectively. His art
style also resembles that of a political cartoon. This is a further example of
how a comic or graphic novel can appeal to various audiences, and still hold
valuable meaning in history and culture.
While some might not fully grasp the horrors this story represents, it does serve as a much easier transition into the subject.
Apart from his use of metaphor to symbolize the Nazis and the Jews, telling the story within the story, not necessarily breaking the 4th Wall, provides some insight into what came of this survivor's story. Had he not survived, this story would never have been told. This is an example of the will to survive of the "mice," and the need to tell this story from the victim's point of view. Overall, this is a well illustrated account, in both words and images, of one person's experience during World War II.
