Maus-Hunter and Hunted
Student: Panait Sabina-Iuliana
Major: Finnish
Year: 3rd
Maus- The Hunter and The Hunted
Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” is a graphic novel which speaks about the Holocaust, its aftermath and its effect on the next generation. It is written like a memoir, as Vladek Spiegelman tell his son, Art, about the Holocaust and how it affected his life.
It is a frame, and the action moves back and forth between past and present, yet follows a narrative trail, as the moments that Vladek speaks about are arranged in chronological order. As the story progresses, we get to see firsthand how life was for a Jew during the period of the 3rd Reich. Vladek’s story is full of historically accurate details and emotional charge. We get to know that at first he did not want his son to know about the Holocaust and the horrors that took place, but once Art has become an adult and their relationship is colder, he finally starts to speak to him of his past, how he meet his mother and how they managed to escape and get reunited after the war. Art’s wish is to write a graphic novel about his father’s past, but he asks him to remove some parts from it, as they are too personal to be published.
The whole graphics of the novel is in black and white, which gives it a more dramatic feeling. Only the front and back covers are in colour, which “hides” the story written and portrayed in its pages. The drawings are blunt and well outlined, quite minimalist, which supports the story and helps sending out a clear message- it is not a story for kids, it is a drama written in the form of a graphic novel. One important element found on the front cover is a quote from the author: “ My father bleeds history “ . Written on a red background, it sends a deep, emotional message- the act of bleeding implies pain, and it is like a foreword to what the reader is about to find in the pages on the book. This is, in my opinion, a very important element which tells us that what we are
Major: Finnish
Year: 3rd
Maus- The Hunter and The Hunted
Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” is a graphic novel which speaks about the Holocaust, its aftermath and its effect on the next generation. It is written like a memoir, as Vladek Spiegelman tell his son, Art, about the Holocaust and how it affected his life.
It is a frame, and the action moves back and forth between past and present, yet follows a narrative trail, as the moments that Vladek speaks about are arranged in chronological order. As the story progresses, we get to see firsthand how life was for a Jew during the period of the 3rd Reich. Vladek’s story is full of historically accurate details and emotional charge. We get to know that at first he did not want his son to know about the Holocaust and the horrors that took place, but once Art has become an adult and their relationship is colder, he finally starts to speak to him of his past, how he meet his mother and how they managed to escape and get reunited after the war. Art’s wish is to write a graphic novel about his father’s past, but he asks him to remove some parts from it, as they are too personal to be published.
The whole graphics of the novel is in black and white, which gives it a more dramatic feeling. Only the front and back covers are in colour, which “hides” the story written and portrayed in its pages. The drawings are blunt and well outlined, quite minimalist, which supports the story and helps sending out a clear message- it is not a story for kids, it is a drama written in the form of a graphic novel. One important element found on the front cover is a quote from the author: “ My father bleeds history “ . Written on a red background, it sends a deep, emotional message- the act of bleeding implies pain, and it is like a foreword to what the reader is about to find in the pages on the book. This is, in my opinion, a very important element which tells us that what we are