The Use Of Visuals In 'Maus' By Elie Spiegelman

In so many societies, people casually complain that they are "starving," that they are "freezing," that they are "exhausted." But the common man knows nothing of the depths of these words. The common man has no way of understanding what these words really mean to those who are painfully familiar with them. So, those few must find a way to teach them. But how does one express their imprisonment, and their numbed senses, their excruciating hunger, and backbreaking labor, to someone who has hardly begun to understand the very tip of this iceberg? How does one convey the unspeakable to an audience who knows nothing of the true experience? Some turn to tools such as visuals, an emphasis on key details, unconventional use of language, and revealing
These visuals can come in the form of anything between actual pictures and image provoking descriptions. Art Spiegelman uses actual drawings in his graphic novel "Maus." These simple images put the scene directly into a viewer's mind in order to create precisely the intended idea and promote the author's message. Sometimes, images create far more emotion than words ever can. After all, “a picture says a thousand words.” (a Chinese proverb) Despite the limitations of language, Elie Wiesel calls upon an incredible use of imagery in order to describe the unspeakable. Powerful images are conjured up in one's mind when they are told of the things that he experienced and shall never forget. For how could he forget "the small faces of the children whose bodies [he] saw transformed into smoke under a silent sky." or "the nocturnal silence that deprived [him] for all eternity of the desire to live." These were the unthinkable "moments that murdered [his] God and [his] soul and turned [his] dreams to ashes." (A) Every word is saturated with imagery and emotion, allowing the reader to share some of the feelings that go along with such experiences. In his own way, each author creates vivid images in the mind of a viewer or reader, which can help one to better understand the experiences of those who suffered through the
Accordingly, Phil Chernofsky created a book in which there are 1,250 pages filled with the same word: Jew. This word is repeated 4,800 times per page. 6,000,000. Six million people made up of men and women and children of all ages, sizes and origins. "And every single one was someone." (B) This powerful way to represent the millions of lives, of stories, which were cut short was the author's way of expressing what is unspeakable. It is an innovative way to write a book and a solid way to create a clear message. Primo Levi’s "Survival in Auschwitz," redefined "free words" and gave them a new, harsher meaning that only those who suffered in the concentration camps would truly understand. Because to them, the word “'winter' means yet another thing." (C) This unusual way of describing an experience can give a reader a glimpse into the cruel reality of the Nazi concentration camps by making it known that the winter that most people know is nothing compared to what winter was for the Jews. Oftentimes, authors must be creative and unique when writing about a topic as unimaginable as the