Morality In Art Spiegelman's Maus II

David Brooks claims that “Even though race and ethnicity run deep in American society...[people] are amazingly undiverse in their values, politics and mores,” (Brooks 2,4). Hunter S. Thompson, through his striking Gonzo Journalistic Style, also approaches a conclusion that human nature and instinctive inclinations contradict our views on morality. These two literary discussions provide significant insight into Art Spiegelman’s Maus II, which suggests that extreme sufferings and disasters challenge our perception of morality and human ethics. Art Spiegelman employs multiple forms of artistic imagery to emphasize the extent of ‘moral treatment’ in the World War II context. As the Nazis march, thousands of starved, frail prisoners out of their …show more content…
Art also adds in a dark, Nazi boot shown as significantly more powerful and stern force, which is also portrayed on the first panel. Just above this prisoner, the neighbor’s dog’s death is depicted in an eerily similar form as the dying prisoner. The reader also encounters the exact figure towards the bottom of the following page, which serves to reinforce this reoccurring theme. Spiegelman also applies artistic depiction, after Vladek developed typhus (95). On the final panel, Art enlarges this panel to dominate the page, portraying the figures with wide, ghost-like eyes. Art also utilizes a creative form of lighting, in the sense that that specific panel is much more appealing and noticeable than the other panels on that page. Specifically, one’s attention is drawn to the central mouse figure, which is fully ‘white’, and directly looking at the viewer. Many of these methods in which Spiegelman portrays his characters contribute to the continuous thematic comparison of humans and animals. The emphasis on this comparison forces significant debate and