Testimony for Prevention in Maus
The graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman is a unique running testimony about the horrors of the Holocaust. This novel uses sequential art to lay out two separate testimonies--Art obtaining his father's experiences of being a Holocaust survivor, and the story of Art’s father as a Polish Jew living through the war. These two testimonies are then intertwined and written in real time. This lets the reader to truly witness two separate testimonies at once. The intertwined testimonies in Maus allow the reader to feel as if they are personally witnessing these events first hand. Witnessing personal testimonies allow the reader to get a better understanding of the multi-generational atrocities that still affect families …show more content…
The text is written as if Art’s father, Vladek, is personally telling each reader his life’s experience. It is only when the novel switches to Art’s testimony--of gathering the research from Vlad’s life--where the reader can physically see Vlad talking to Art. In Vlad’s testimony, however, the audience is hearing the story at the same pace as Art, allowing the story arc to follow Art’s emotions a little closer. This way reader get a better understanding of how atrocities like the Holocaust can affect many generations, even if they didn’t witness them first hand. As early as page six, Spiegelman shows the reader how the events during the war impacted Vladek’s entire mind set, even years after. On pages 5-6, Art is abandoned by his friends and left in sorrow. Art then approaches home when his father asks why he cries. It is here the dialog, along with imagery, that we see Vladek’s hard exterior from the war. Vladek then shares with Art his meaning of the word-- “Friends? Your friends? If you locked them together in a room with no food for a week, then you could see wait it is, friends!” Vladek continuously questions Art’s definition of friends, while giving a personal anecdote on how to truly judge friends. Right from the start we see the lasting effect the war had on Vladek Spiegelman, and possibly how Art’s curiosity about his father’s experience …show more content…
The pages that precede 158 show Vlad’s testimony put to momentary rest with him and his wife, Anja, landing in Auschwitz. Art’s story, which actually encompasses Vlad’s, also ends dramatically. It is here where the reader can witness what genocide and certain aucrasities can push a person to feel, think, and do. Art is repulsed by his father for burning all of Anja’s diaries. The images seen on page 159 show Art’s disbelief and anger towards his father. Vlad however, looks remorseful, saddened, and hurt. The dialogue then matches the artwork. As the page goes on Art begins screaming at his father, even stating, “God damn you! You-You MURDERER! How in the hell could you do such a thing!!” The anger illustrated in Art’s face, along with the chaotic border around Art’s dialogue, show the absolute hatred felt towards his father in this moment. As for Vlad’s dialog and boarder-- a dull circle with a simple “Ach..” in the middle (Spigelman, p.159). It is here in the text where the reader can fully reflect on the powerful testimony as a
The graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman is a unique running testimony about the horrors of the Holocaust. This novel uses sequential art to lay out two separate testimonies--Art obtaining his father's experiences of being a Holocaust survivor, and the story of Art’s father as a Polish Jew living through the war. These two testimonies are then intertwined and written in real time. This lets the reader to truly witness two separate testimonies at once. The intertwined testimonies in Maus allow the reader to feel as if they are personally witnessing these events first hand. Witnessing personal testimonies allow the reader to get a better understanding of the multi-generational atrocities that still affect families …show more content…
The text is written as if Art’s father, Vladek, is personally telling each reader his life’s experience. It is only when the novel switches to Art’s testimony--of gathering the research from Vlad’s life--where the reader can physically see Vlad talking to Art. In Vlad’s testimony, however, the audience is hearing the story at the same pace as Art, allowing the story arc to follow Art’s emotions a little closer. This way reader get a better understanding of how atrocities like the Holocaust can affect many generations, even if they didn’t witness them first hand. As early as page six, Spiegelman shows the reader how the events during the war impacted Vladek’s entire mind set, even years after. On pages 5-6, Art is abandoned by his friends and left in sorrow. Art then approaches home when his father asks why he cries. It is here the dialog, along with imagery, that we see Vladek’s hard exterior from the war. Vladek then shares with Art his meaning of the word-- “Friends? Your friends? If you locked them together in a room with no food for a week, then you could see wait it is, friends!” Vladek continuously questions Art’s definition of friends, while giving a personal anecdote on how to truly judge friends. Right from the start we see the lasting effect the war had on Vladek Spiegelman, and possibly how Art’s curiosity about his father’s experience …show more content…
The pages that precede 158 show Vlad’s testimony put to momentary rest with him and his wife, Anja, landing in Auschwitz. Art’s story, which actually encompasses Vlad’s, also ends dramatically. It is here where the reader can witness what genocide and certain aucrasities can push a person to feel, think, and do. Art is repulsed by his father for burning all of Anja’s diaries. The images seen on page 159 show Art’s disbelief and anger towards his father. Vlad however, looks remorseful, saddened, and hurt. The dialogue then matches the artwork. As the page goes on Art begins screaming at his father, even stating, “God damn you! You-You MURDERER! How in the hell could you do such a thing!!” The anger illustrated in Art’s face, along with the chaotic border around Art’s dialogue, show the absolute hatred felt towards his father in this moment. As for Vlad’s dialog and boarder-- a dull circle with a simple “Ach..” in the middle (Spigelman, p.159). It is here in the text where the reader can fully reflect on the powerful testimony as a