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The Concept of Guilt and Its Representation in Maus

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The Interconnection Between The Past and The Present in Maus

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Maus Through The Prism of Postmodernism

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1991, Art Spiegelman

Comics, Novel, Graphic novel, Comic book, Biography

Vladek Spiegelman, Art Spiegelman, Anja Spiegelman, Mandelbaum, Mala Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly

"Maus" is a graphic novel written by Art Spiegelman and is based on the experiences of his father, Vladek Spiegelman, a Holocaust survivor. The novel is a unique and poignant exploration of the Holocaust, using the medium of comic art to depict the harrowing events. Inspired by his father's firsthand accounts, Art Spiegelman tells the story of Vladek's life during World War II, including his time in Auschwitz concentration camp and his struggles to survive and protect his family. "Maus" stands out for its innovative portrayal of the characters as anthropomorphic animals, with Jews depicted as mice and Nazis as cats. This metaphorical representation adds depth to the narrative, allowing readers to engage with the story on multiple levels.

The story begins with Art's attempts to understand his father's past and the impact it has had on their relationship. Vladek shares his harrowing journey, from the rise of anti-Semitism in Poland to the Nazi occupation, the horrors of Auschwitz, and his eventual liberation. Throughout the novel, Art grapples with the weight of his father's story and the responsibility of representing it truthfully. The narrative not only explores the brutality and dehumanization of the Holocaust but also delves into the complex dynamics between father and son, the trauma of survivors, and the challenges of memory and storytelling.

"Maus" is primarily set in two distinct time periods: the present-day 1970s in New York City and the past during World War II in Poland and various concentration camps. In the present, the story takes place in the urban landscape of New York City, depicting the everyday lives of Art Spiegelman and his father, Vladek. The city serves as a backdrop for Art's interviews with his father, as well as their interactions and struggles in dealing with the lingering effects of the Holocaust. The past setting of the narrative is situated in Poland during the rise of Nazi Germany and the subsequent occupation. It portrays the stark realities of life under Nazi rule, the ghettos, and the horrors of concentration camps such as Auschwitz. The grim and oppressive atmosphere of these settings highlights the extreme circumstances faced by Vladek and countless others during the Holocaust.

One of the primary themes is the trauma and its intergenerational effects. The graphic novel delves into the psychological impact of the Holocaust on both survivors and their children. It portrays the burden of memory, guilt, and the struggle to reconcile personal experiences with the larger historical context. Another significant theme is the power of storytelling and the role of art in representing history. Art Spiegelman employs the medium of comics to convey the complex and emotional story of his father's survival. Through visual imagery and the use of anthropomorphic animals as characters, the narrative challenges traditional depictions of the Holocaust and highlights the capacity of art to engage with difficult subject matter. Additionally, "Maus" explores themes of prejudice, dehumanization, and the consequences of unchecked bigotry. It delves into the ways in which individuals grapple with their identities, navigate social hierarchies, and confront prejudice in a world scarred by the Holocaust.

One prominent literary device is symbolism. Art Spiegelman utilizes anthropomorphic animals to represent different groups of people, with Jews portrayed as mice and Nazis as cats. This metaphorical approach adds depth and complexity to the storytelling, allowing readers to grasp the power dynamics and dehumanization inherent in the Holocaust. For example, the use of mice to represent Jews underscores their vulnerability and prey status in the face of Nazi persecution. Another literary device employed in "Maus" is foreshadowing. Through subtle hints and clues, Spiegelman foreshadows future events, creating suspense and anticipation. An example of this is when Art's father, Vladek, mentions his first wife and children who died during the war, foreshadowing the tragic fate that awaits them. Additionally, the use of flashbacks is a significant literary device in "Maus." The narrative frequently shifts between the present and past, offering glimpses into Vladek's experiences during the Holocaust. These flashbacks provide crucial context, deepen character development, and offer a layered understanding of the historical events. Moreover, the graphic novel format itself is a distinct literary device in "Maus." The combination of visuals and text allows for a unique storytelling experience, providing visual cues and imagery that enhance the emotional impact of the narrative. The illustrations contribute to the overall narrative structure and create a powerful synergy between the words and images.

First and foremost, Art Spiegelman's groundbreaking work revolutionized the graphic novel medium. "Maus" demonstrated the artistic and narrative potential of the graphic format, elevating it from mere entertainment to a serious and respected literary form. Its success opened doors for other graphic novels to explore complex themes and historical events. In terms of Holocaust representation, "Maus" introduced a new perspective by using anthropomorphic animals to depict the characters, reflecting the dehumanization and brutality of the Holocaust itself. This innovative approach challenged traditional portrayals and expanded the possibilities of Holocaust storytelling. Moreover, "Maus" sparked critical discussions about trauma, memory, and the transmission of history. Spiegelman's exploration of his father's experiences as a Holocaust survivor highlighted the intergenerational impact of trauma and the complexities of memory. This prompted a reevaluation of how personal narratives and collective memory shape our understanding of historical events.

1. "Maus" was the first graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. In 1992, Art Spiegelman's groundbreaking work received the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, marking a significant moment in the recognition of graphic novels as a legitimate form of literature. 2. "Maus" has been translated into over 30 languages, reaching a global audience and resonating with readers worldwide. Its powerful storytelling and unique visual style have transcended cultural boundaries, making it a universally acclaimed and widely read work.

Maus is an important subject for an essay due to its exceptional contribution to literature and its innovative narrative style. The graphic novel by Art Spiegelman delves into the Holocaust and its aftermath, presenting a poignant and deeply personal account of the author's father's experiences as a survivor. By using anthropomorphic animal characters to represent different groups, Spiegelman creates a powerful metaphorical framework that explores complex themes of identity, trauma, memory, and the impact of historical events on individuals and generations. Writing an essay about Maus provides an opportunity to delve into the unique literary and artistic techniques employed by Spiegelman, such as the use of panels, visual symbolism, and interweaving narratives. It allows for an examination of the graphic novel's impact on the acceptance and recognition of the genre as a form of serious literature. Additionally, an essay on Maus can shed light on the Holocaust's ongoing relevance, the responsibility of memory, and the power of storytelling in confronting historical atrocities. Overall, Maus prompts critical analysis and deep reflection, making it a compelling and important subject for an essay.

"I cannot forget it...tonight, you have made me hate you, and the whole ghetto, because of this ridiculous uniform you're wearing!" "Friends? Your friends...if you lock them together in a room with no food for a week...then you could see what it is, friends!" "I'm tired of hearing about the Holocaust!" "Richieu, my brother, where are you now?" "To die, it's easy...but you have to struggle for life!"

1. Rothberg, M., & Spiegelman, A. (1994). " We Were Talking Jewish": Art Spiegelman's" Maus" as" Holocaust" Production. Contemporary Literature, 35(4), 661-687. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1208703) 2. Young, J. E. (1998). The Holocaust as Vicarious Past: Art Spiegelman's" Maus" and the Afterimages of History. Critical Inquiry, 24(3), 666-699. (https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/448890?journalCode=ci) 3. Orbán, K. (2007). Trauma and Visuality: Art Spiegelman's Maus and In the Shadow of No Towers. Representations, 97(1), 57-89. (https://online.ucpress.edu/representations/article-abstract/97/1/57/95740/Trauma-and-Visuality-Art-Spiegelman-s-Maus-and-In) 4. Tabachnick, S. E. (1993). Of Maus and memory: the structure of Art Spiegelman's graphic novel of the Holocaust. Word & Image, 9(2), 154-162. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02666286.1993.10435484) 5. Tabachnick, S. E. (2004). The religious meaning of Art Spiegelman's Maus. Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies, 22(4), 1-13. (https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/17/article/170723/summary) 6. Spiegelman, A. (2008). Maus I & II. Historia de un sobreviviente: Y aquí comenzaron mis problemas. (https://www.tpet.com/content/PHSamples/MausRJs.pdf) 7. Knowles, S. (2015). The postcolonial graphic novel and trauma: From Maus to Malta. Postcolonial traumas: memory, narrative, resistance, 83-96. (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057/9781137526434_6)

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Maus Summary, Characters and Themes | Art Spiegelman

In the graphic novel “Maus,” Art Spiegelman brings to us a compelling dual narrative that captures the essence of human resilience, the horrors of the Holocaust, and the complexities of familial bonds. 

The story unfolds through the lens of Spiegelman’s interviews with his father, Vladek, a Jewish survivor of Nazi-occupied Poland and the Auschwitz concentration camp. This memoir is not just a recounting of historical events but an exploration of the relationship between father and son, set against the backdrop of one of history ’s darkest periods.

Vladek Spiegelman’s journey begins in the 1930s as a successful, multilingual salesman who marries Anja Zylberberg, an intelligent woman battling severe depression. Together, they navigate the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe, bringing a child, Richieu, into an increasingly hostile world. 

As the Nazis invade Poland, Vladek’s life takes a drastic turn from fighting on the frontlines to enduring the brutal conditions of a POW camp, and ultimately, surviving the Holocaust alongside Anja through a mix of ingenuity, luck, and sheer will.

Their story of survival is marked by moments of despair and acts of bravery. The couple faces numerous challenges, from hiding in bunkers to avoid Nazi roundups to the heart-wrenching decision to send Richieu into hiding—a decision that ends in tragedy. 

Vladek’s cunning and resourcefulness see them through the ghettos of Srodula to the relative safety of Sosnowiec, and finally, to the harrowing confines of Auschwitz. 

There, Vladek’s adaptability allows him to avoid death by taking on various roles, from teaching English to repairing shoes, all the while fighting to reunite with Anja.

Parallel to the recounting of these historical events is Art’s struggle with capturing his father’s story. 

Art grapples with Vladek’s stinginess, stubborn independence, and the emotional weight of his own creative process. The narrative delves into Art’s personal battles, including his reaction to discovering that Vladek burned Anja’s diaries, his own experiences of fatherhood, and his efforts to comprehend and depict the incomprehensible horrors of Auschwitz. 

This contemporary storyline adds a layer of introspection and critique on the act of storytelling itself, especially concerning events of such magnitude as the Holocaust.

Art’s portrayal of characters as animals—Jews as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs, and Americans as dogs—serves as a powerful metaphor for the dehumanization inherent in prejudice, war, and genocide. 

This artistic choice underlines the absurdity and tragedy of racial and national divisions while providing a stark commentary on the nature of human conflict.

Vladek Spiegelman

Vladek Spiegelman is the heart of “Maus,” a survivor of the Holocaust whose life story forms the backbone of the narrative. His character is multifaceted: he is resourceful and resilient, traits that enable him to survive the horrors of Auschwitz and other camps. 

Vladek’s ingenuity is evident in how he navigates the oppressive conditions under Nazi rule, from securing work papers to avoid detection to bargaining for his and Anja’s survival. However, these survival tactics also manifest in his later life as stinginess and an overbearing nature, particularly in his relationships with his son, Art, and second wife, Mala. 

Despite these flaws, Vladek’s story is one of profound love and loss, showcasing the human capacity for endurance in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Art Spiegelman

Art Spiegelman, the author and narrator, presents himself as a complex character struggling with the weight of his father’s history and the challenge of portraying it accurately. Art battles with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, both in his personal life and in his role as a storyteller. 

He is deeply affected by his mother’s suicide, his father’s survival stories, and the pressure to do justice to the Holocaust’s victims and survivors. 

Through Art, “Maus” explores the themes of memory, trauma, and the second-generation experience of Holocaust survivors’ children, highlighting the lasting impact of such historical events on individual lives and family dynamics.

Anja Spiegelman

Anja Spiegelman, Vladek’s first wife and Art’s mother, is a presence that looms large over the narrative despite her absence in the present-day events of the story. Her struggle with mental health , her survival alongside Vladek, and her eventual suicide after the war are pivotal elements of the story. 

Anja’s character represents the often overlooked aspect of the Holocaust’s aftermath: the psychological scars borne by survivors. Her diaries, burned by Vladek, symbolize the loss of personal and historical narratives that many families experienced post-Holocaust.

Mala Spiegelman

Mala, Vladek’s second wife, is portrayed as someone who also survived the Holocaust but shares a tumultuous relationship with Vladek. 

Her interactions with Vladek showcase the difficulties of post-war life and the complexities of relationships formed by survivors, who carry their own traumas and expectations. 

Mala’s character adds another layer to the portrayal of survival, illustrating how the past’s shadows can strain present relationships and highlighting the diversity of survivor experiences.

Richieu Spiegelman

Richieu, the son of Vladek and Anja who never survived the war, represents the lost potential and the profound grief that haunts the Spiegelman family. 

His absence is a constant reminder of the devastating impact of the Holocaust on families, the children who did not survive, and the generational trauma that follows. 

Richieu’s story, though brief, is a poignant part of Vladek and Anja’s narratives, symbolizing the incalculable loss of life and the personal tragedies that are part of the larger historical catastrophe.

1. Trauma and Its Transmission Across Generations

“Maus” delves deeply into the psychological scars left by the Holocaust, not only on those who directly experienced its horrors but also on their descendants. 

Through the relationship between Art and his father Vladek, the graphic novel explores how the trauma of the past permeates the fabric of family life, shaping personalities, behaviors, and relationships. 

Vladek’s experiences during the Holocaust influence his approach to life, from his frugality and distrust to his survival instincts, all of which affect Art in profound ways. 

The narrative uncovers the complex ways in which the children of survivors inherit a legacy of pain and resilience, grappling with a history they did not live but feel deeply connected to. 

This theme is further illuminated by Art’s struggle to understand and portray his father’s experiences, reflecting on the burden of memory and the challenge of representing trauma without diminishing its impact.

2. Identity and Dehumanization

The novel’s unique visual language, where characters are depicted as animals based on their nationality or ethnic background, serves as a stark commentary on identity and dehumanization. 

Jews are portrayed as mice, Germans as cats, Poles as pigs, and Americans as dogs, a symbolic representation of the roles assigned to different groups by the Nazis and society at large. 

This artistic choice underscores the absurdity of stereotyping and the cruelty of reducing individuals to a single, monolithic identity. 

By employing these animal metaphors, “Maus” invites readers to reflect on the mechanisms of prejudice and how they can lead to dehumanization and genocide. 

The graphic novel challenges us to confront the dangerous implications of seeing others as fundamentally different or lesser beings, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in overcoming divisions.

3. Survival and Resistance

At its core, “Maus” is a testament to the human will to survive in the face of unimaginable adversity. 

The narrative chronicles Vladek’s resourcefulness, cunning, and determination to live through the Holocaust, from securing work papers to avoid Nazi detection to building bunkers in the ghettos and negotiating for his and Anja’s lives in Auschwitz. 

However, “Maus” also portrays survival in a broader sense, including the psychological and emotional resilience required to rebuild life after trauma. The novel does not romanticize survival; instead, it presents it as a complex mix of luck, strategy, and the support of others. 

Furthermore, it explores the moral ambiguities and difficult choices faced by those trying to survive, revealing the spectrum of resistance against oppression—from armed uprising to the daily acts of maintaining humanity in inhumane conditions. 

Through Vladek’s story, “Maus” honors the strength of the human spirit while acknowledging the profound costs of survival.

Final Thoughts

“Maus” transcends the boundaries of traditional graphic novels, offering a poignant exploration of survival, memory, and the legacy of trauma across generations. 

It stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring impact of family stories in shaping our understanding of history and ourselves. 

Through Vladek’s eyes, readers are offered a glimpse into the depths of human cruelty and kindness, while Art’s narrative wrestles with the challenges of bearing witness to such a complex, deeply personal, and historically significant story.

91 pages • 3 hours read

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Summary and Study Guide

Maus by Art Spiegelman was the first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer Prize. It originally ran in Spiegelman’s Raw magazine between 1980 and 1991 before receiving mainstream attention as two collected volumes, Maus I in 1986 and Maus II in 1991. This guide is based on the 1996 complete edition. This historic memoir interlaces two narratives, one of Spiegelman’s Jewish father as he survives World War II Poland and the Auschwitz concentration camp, and the other of Spiegelman recording his father’s story while navigating their contentious relationship. The graphic novel is notable for its art style , with the Jewish people drawn as mice, the Germans as cats, the Poles as pigs, and the Americans as dogs. The characters are depicted as animals to reflect the dehumanization caused by prejudice, war, and genocide.

Maus was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1992. It was an instant bestseller upon its release, going on to sell six million copies. Spiegelman has received numerous awards and accolades, including Time  magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2005, the Grand Prix at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2011, and the Edward MacDowell Medal in 2018—the first comic to receive the award.

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This guide refers to the 25th Anniversary Edition of The Complete Maus , published by Pantheon Books in 2011.

Content Warning: This guide and the source text contain discussions and depictions of the Holocaust, antisemitism, and antisemitic violence.

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Plot Summary

Over several years, cartoonist Art Spiegelman interviews his aging Jewish father, Vladek, to record his survival in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II, including roughly 10 months in the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp (for this guide, “Spiegelman” refers to the author, while “Art” refers to his presentation of himself in the text). In the 1930s, Vladek is a talented, multilingual salesman who weds the intelligent Anja Zylberberg. As the couple has a child, Richieu, and treats Anja’s severe depression, Nazi Germany ignites a new wave of antisemitism throughout Europe. When the Nazis invade Poland, Vladek reluctantly fights on the frontlines before facing capture and internment in a POW camp that purposely places Jewish prisoners in squalid conditions. Upon release, Vladek sneaks back into German-controlled territory to reunite with Anja and her family.

Vladek takes black-market jobs and secures work papers to avoid both the Nazis and the Jewish authorities that cooperate with them. He and Anja’s family survives a mass inspection to send the elderly and large families to concentration camps, but it claims his father and sister. After initial resistance from Anja, they send Richieu into hiding with her relatives; sadly, Anja’s sister poisons herself and Richieu when soldiers clear out their ghetto. The Nazis send the remaining family to Srodula, where they build bunkers to avoid capture until an informant discovers them. Vladek and Anja escape deportation by paying off Vladek’s cousins, but they can’t save Anja’s parents. After hiding from the final elimination of the area, the Spiegelmans return to Sosnowiec to stay with sympathetic Polish residents. After several near discoveries, Vladek convinces Anja of a plan to sneak into Hungary, but the smugglers turn out to be Nazi collaborators.

As Art records his father’s story, he brushes against Vladek’s overbearing and stingy attitude. He is stubbornly self-reliant but cannot take care of himself due to heart, diabetic, and vision problems. Vladek discovers a stark comic by Art about Anja’s death by suicide, and Art rages at Vladek after learning that he burned her diaries. Vladek feuds with his second wife, Mala, and Art briefly stays with Vladek after she leaves him. As Art works on the second half of Maus , he struggles with his father’s death shortly after the interviews, the birth of his own son, and media scrutiny following the book’s breakout success. He reveals his paralysis at depicting Auschwitz and the psychological therapy he receives about his unresolved family tensions and the random nature of the Holocaust.

Now a prisoner at Auschwitz, Vladek avoids elimination by teaching English to a Polish supervisor. The supervisor transfers Vladek to a tin shop, where he appeases his communist superior with food, and Vladek eventually becomes a shoe repairer. Learning that Anja is alive in the nearby Birkenau camp, Vladek reconnects with her and saves a stash of cigarettes to trade for her transfer to Auschwitz. They must avoid Nazi guards, however, with Vladek suffering a beating on one occasion.

As Russian troops approach Auschwitz, the guards march the prisoners hundreds of miles on foot to Gross-Rosen, where Vladek waits for days in a train of dying prisoners. At the Dachau camp, he contracts a debilitating case of typhus. When news arrives of a prisoner exchange, he pays other prisoners in bread to take him on the train. The Allies’ approach forces the Nazis to abandon their final attempts to eliminate the Jews. After several days in an abandoned farm, Vladek meets a group of American soldiers who take him in. Vladek learns that Anja waits for him in Sosnowiec, and the two reunite.

In the present, Vladek shares with Art a collection of family photos from before the war. The father goes to Florida to reconcile with Mala, but Art flies down after he suffers another medical incident. Vladek calls Art by Richieu’s name as he finishes his story and falls asleep.

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by Art Spiegelman

Maus study guide.

Art Spiegelman 's Maus is the most unlikely of creations: a comic book about the Holocaust. Yet when the first volume of Maus was published in 1987, it met with enormous critical and commercial success, and to this day it is widely considered to be among the best and most powerful of a long list of Holocaust-inspired works. When the second volume was published in 1991, the completed work was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize for Letters, an almost unprecedented honor for a medium usually reserved for super heroes and the Sunday comics (though to be fair, the creators of Doonesbury and Bloom County, popular Sunday comics, have also won Pulitzers for their work).

In Maus , the different races and nationalities within the story are portrayed as different kinds of animals. Jews, for example, are portrayed as mice, while the Germans are depicted as cats. A precursor to Maus was first published in an underground comic magazine called Funny Animals in 1972. The piece was only three pages long, but many of the same elements were there, including the focus on his father, Vladek Spiegelman , and the decision to portray Jews as mice. The artwork was, however, more overtly comical and cartoonish. Spiegelman continued to work on his creation, and in 1980, when he co-founded the underground comic magazine Raw , he began publishing Maus as a serial graphic novel, which appeared in six installments between 1981 and 1986. These installments were colleted and published as Maus I: My Father Bleeds History in 1987. The publication of Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began , followed a similar route, appearing as a serial in Raw before being published in full in 1992.

Maus consists of two primary narratives of equal importance. The first major narrative is directed by Art's father, Vladek Spiegelman, who offers the story of his experiences in the Holocaust, as told to his son through a series of interviews. This narrative begins in pre-war Poland and tracks his life over a period of approximately ten years, from his marriage to his wife, Anja, in 1937, through his experiences in Auschwitz, and to his eventual immigration to Sweden after the war. The second major narrative focuses on Art's complex and conflicted relationship with his father between 1978 and 1982, while he interviews the old man about his Holocaust experiences.

In addition to these primary narratives, there are also two "minor" narratives that appear only briefly within the story. The first of these is a short comic that Art Spiegelman originally published in 1972, which details the story of Art's mother's suicide in 1968. The comic is eventually discovered by Vladek and reprinted in full in the middle of the first volume of Maus . The second minor narrative occurs at the beginning of the second chapter of Maus II and takes place in 1987, shortly after the publication of Maus I . It is a deeply personal and self-reflective narrative revealing the conflicting emotions of the author with regards to his father and the publication of Maus .

Though Maus is a comic book, its impact and complexity are far greater than most works of this medium. The story explores the nature of guilt, and the narrative serves as a meditation on the effects of a major historical event - in this case the traumatic events of the Holocaust - on the lives of people who were born after it ended. With its complex themes and structure and unconventional medium of a graphic novel, Maus almost defies description. Equal parts fiction, biography, autobiography, and history, it is in many ways a book that rises above genre to become something completely unique, and it is an amazing and lasting story that is destined to become a classic.

MAUS Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for MAUS is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Page 32, “Right away, we went.” Where are Vladek and Anja going and why?

Right away, we went. The sanitarium was inside Czechoslovakia, one of the most expensive and beautiful in the world.

Anja, Vladek's wife and Spiegelman's mother, went to a sanatorium in Czechoslovakia in 1938.

Vladek wants to go to Hungary in order to escape the danger and uncertainty of his life, as well as Anja's. Hungary represents hope and safety.

The visual device used to show the difference betweem Vladek and Anja is that Anja has a tail protruding from under her coat, a detail that emphasizes her Jewish identity.

Study Guide for MAUS

MAUS study guide contains a biography of Art Spiegelman, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• MAUS Summary
• Character List

Essays for MAUS

MAUS essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of MAUS by Art Spiegelman.

• Stylistic Detail of MAUS and Its Effect on Reader Attachment
• Using Animals to Divide: Illustrated Allegory in Maus and Terrible Things
• Father-Son Conflict in MAUS
• Anthropomorphism and Race in Maus
• A Postmodernist Reading of Spiegelman's Maus

Lesson Plan for MAUS

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to MAUS
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• MAUS Bibliography

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Art Spiegelman

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Art Spiegelman's Maus . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

Maus: Introduction

Maus: plot summary, maus: detailed summary & analysis, maus: themes, maus: quotes, maus: characters, maus: symbols, maus: theme wheel, brief biography of art spiegelman.

Historical Context of Maus

Other books related to maus.

• Full Title: Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
• When Written: 1978-1991
• When Published: The first volume of Maus (“My Father Bleeds History”) was serialized in Raw magazine, beginning in 1980 and ending in 1991, when the magazine ceased publication. The first volume was published in book form in 1986. The second volume (“And Here My Troubles Began”) was published in 1991.
• Literary Period: Postmodernism
• Genre: Graphic Novel, Memoir
• Setting: Poland and Germany (1930s and 40s); Rego Park, Queens (1970s and 80s); Catskill Mountains (1979); New York City (1987).
• Climax: After years of moving between ghettos and hiding places, Vladek and Anja are sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
• Antagonist: German soldiers and hostile Polish civilians are obvious antagonists for the Jews who are struggling to survive amidst persecution. However, the story also explores the many ways in which Jewish people — and others were who suffered alongside them in concentration camps and in war-torn Poland — harm and undermine one another in moments of desperation. Though Vladek and Anja are beneficiaries of amazing acts of kindness and humanity, and often do their best to help others in return, Maus shows clearly how danger and privation breed selfishness and callousness.
• Point of View: First Person (Vladek and Artie); Third Person (Limited to Artie)

Extra Credit for Maus

Shoah. Some scholars and religious leaders have taken issue with the term “holocaust.” Though the word has been used for decades to refer to the genocide of European Jews, and has been used to describe other mass killings in history, it originates from a Greek word that means “a completely burnt offering to God.” Some argue that to refer to the genocide as a “holocaust” is to compare those murders to religious sacrifices — and that this comparison dignifies the violence and disrespects the victims. Many who disagree with the use of the term “holocaust” substitute “shoah,” a Hebrew term that translates as “catastrophe.”

A Controversial Metaphor. Spiegelman faced criticism, after Maus ’s publication, for his use of animal heads in place of human faces. Because different animals correspond to different ethnicities, he was accused of perpetuating Nazi-like divisions between people of different races, and further dehumanizing the same people Nazis had tried to dehumanize through their violence. The book found a particularly harsh audience in Poland, where many were insulted by the depiction of Polish people as pigs.

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