Maus

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I liked Maus more than I thought I would, and while the content is very heavy, it was handled very well.  The style of drawing seemed to fit very well for the story told. I felt that Spiegelman’s decision to tell the tale with animals was very important to the way the piece ended up. With such a heavy subject, taking away the visual humanity seemed to make it more approachable and I think this is why it was received by teachers and students so well. Yet, the way he handled it made sure not to take away any of the humanity from the story itself, a very carful balancing act that I do not think many people would be able to pull off. The use of mice, cats, and pig was a great streamliner visually because the reader could instantly understand who was who, as opposed to the author having to introduce that information. I think that part of the reason this graphic novel was able to make such an impact was the way the author was able to communicate relations ships. Whether they were long term like his father and step mother or short term like his parents and the various people who helped to hide them, each felt genuine and real. The visuals and text worked extremely well together and were able to support each other. One of the characters that I connected the most was Mala. Her and Vladek ‘s relationship seemed to evoke a lot of old school relationship elements that I felt I was exposed to to an extent while growing up. Ideas such as the man leading the household, the wife taking the coats at the door and catering to the guest, etc. this in turn made me feel sympathy for Mala because of how Vladek treated her. The stress revolving around the topic of money that was illustrated through out their relationship also connected with me, because of similar things I have experienced. It felt very truthful in the way it was handled. Spiegelman was also very good at the pacing of his story, and the break between past and present was handled very well. I especially like how he addressed the passage of time in the present, and not just having the whole thing told at one sitting.

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