Maus by Art Spiegelman

Maus is a graphic novel that Art Spiegelman drew his father’s experiences of Holocaust. Art was the post generation of Holocaust survivor, so he sketched father’s survivor stories to understand father’s trauma because his relationship with father was not good. He used metaphor the characters by races that Jews were maus and Germans were cats. He interviewed his father, and he attached several real photos to prove father’s trauma as accurate as the past experiences. His stories described politics, economics, and social problem during the World War 2. He not only explained father’s trauma, but he also pointed out his suffering due to not share the family legacy.

The characteristics of Vladek were handsome, ambitious, and well-educated Jew. After he survived Auschwitz, he was changed that he always worried about hungry, money, and anxiety. His wife Anja was also survivor of Holocuas, but she killed herself. Once, Spiefleman drew a short comic about her suicide that broken family relationship between Vladek and Art in Prisoner on the Hell planet. Contrast other literature; his graphic narrative had more strong power because it made reader feeling of guilty as not experienced. Spiegelman attached his brother’s photo to pay attention it as real historical tragedy. He showed how historical tragedy impact on individual life and next generation as trauma.