Maus (volume l and ll) Literature & Language Coursework

Read Maus (volume l and ll) and answer the following questions in your own words. Please note that the questions do not have a single "right" or "wrong." They are designed to encourage you to think!
(1) Why does Spiegelman draw Maus using animals, rather than people? What animals does he choose? Why? (3-5 sentences)
(2) Why does Spiegelman draw Maus in black-and-white, rather than in color? (1-2 sentences)
(3) Describe Art Spiegelman's relationship to his brother Richieu. (2-3 sentences)
(4) Pick one illustration from Maus and describe it: what do you find particularly interesting in how it is drawn (i.e., the artistic technique). (3-4 sentences)
(5) Describe your reaction to reading Maus. What did you feel when you got to the "happy, happy ever after" end? (3-4 sentences)

Read Maus (volume I and II) and answer the following questions in your own words. Please note that the questions do not have a single "right" or "wrong." They are designed to encourage you to think!
(1) Why does Spiegelman draw Maus using animals, rather than people? What animals does he choose? Why? (3-5 sentences)
(2) Why does Spiegelman draw Maus in black-and-white, rather than in color? (1-2 sentences)
(3) Describe Art Spiegelman's relationship to his brother Richieu. (2-3 sentences)
(4) Pick one illustration from Maus and describe it: what do you find particularly interesting in how it is drawn (i.e., the artistic technique). (3-4 sentences)
(5) Describe your reaction to reading Maus. What did you feel when you got to the "happy, happy ever after" end? (3-4 sentences)

(1) Why does Spiegelman draw Maus using animals, rather than people? What animals does he choose? Why? (3-5 sentences)
For the same reason fairy tales use animals to tell stories- it add familiarity to the characters, but also distances them enough for the tale to still be approachable. Maus is a tale of trauma and psychological hardship; using animals metaphorically rather than pictures of the real people allow both the reader and Spiegelman to take in the story without pushing away from it. He chooses mice for Jews and cats for Germans to illustrate the prey-predator violent relationship between the two races that still plagues Spiegelman today. Poles were depicted as pigs because they were referred to as "Polish swine" my the Germans.
(2) Why does Spiegelman draw Maus in black-and-white, rather than in color? (1 -2 sentences)
Black and white drawings use simplicity in color to make other important aspects stand out. Vladek's story and the fact that most of it is in memory is very visceral, and therefore important to focus on rather than painting a colorful and possibly distracting landscape.
(3) Describe Art Spiegelman's relationship to his brother Richieu. (2-3 sentences)
Art never met Richieu because he died during the war, but his ghostly presence haunts him throughout his life. There were no pictures of Art in the house, only of Richieu, because Art was the one who lives. However, the image of the "perfect child" being his dead brother hangs over Art's head, comparing himself and his failures to what could have been.
(4) Pick one illustration from Maus and describe it: what do you find particularly interesting in howlt is drawn (i.e., the artistic technique). (3-4 sentences)
On page 122,1 picked the panel where Vladek is telling Anja "Until the last moment we must struggle together! I need you!" It was very visceral because Art drew the couple in a close up shot of their faces, as if in a movie. The intense love and emotion between the beautiful couple came across by the simplicity of their close-up faces, despite the face that there was not much emotion able to be painted in the eyes. It is also important that Vladek is completely clothed, while Anja's head is smooth and hatless in frame; Vladek is choosing to dress up and act normal while Anja is losing to despair in this moment.
(5) Describe your reaction to reading Maus. What did you feel when you got to the "happy, happy ever after" end? (3-4 sentences)
I felt relieved that the story was done (as it was mentally exhausting), in despair for all that I had seen in the past hundreds of pages with nothing to do to help, and curious about Art's life. It was so powerful to make this story about the Holocaust's lasting effect on the next generation of survivors, because it was illustrated so clearly how much it continues to destroy Art to this day. I wouldn't say the ending is "happy, happy ever after" at all, but more of a state of fact- this is the way their lives are, and this is the way it was presented to me (the reader), and now the story is finished (for now).