Art Spiegelman offers us a uniquely depressing take on the Holocaust through post-memory, the passing down of memories and stories from one generation to another. Though Spiegelman never experienced the Holocaust firsthand, he is able to paint an accurate and emotional picture by re-living the experience through his father’s eyes. This is shown by Spiegelman wearing a mask; he has only second-hand experience, but by wearing this mask, he vicariously experiences the Holocaust through his father, his memories, and his emotions. The downside to this is that one can only comprehend so much of an experience without actually going through it, so Spiegelman struggles when his father has difficulty communicating his thoughts or even refusing to tell him of certain events that transpired
Art Spiegelman offers us a uniquely depressing take on the Holocaust through post-memory, the passing down of memories and stories from one generation to another. Though Spiegelman never experienced the Holocaust firsthand, he is able to paint an accurate and emotional picture by re-living the experience through his father’s eyes. This is shown by Spiegelman wearing a mask; he has only second-hand experience, but by wearing this mask, he vicariously experiences the Holocaust through his father, his memories, and his emotions. The downside to this is that one can only comprehend so much of an experience without actually going through it, so Spiegelman struggles when his father has difficulty communicating his thoughts or even refusing to tell him of certain events that transpired