Tricks In Art Spiegelman's Maus

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In Maus, Art Spiegelman uses a variety of “tricks” to bring about important aspects of the story. Some of the tricks involve the drawing itself, and how it can look naive, and un-polished, as well as others that bring about the honesty and realistic aspects of the story that he is trying to tell the reader. For example, one of the tricks that I found to be particularly interesting, were the instances that Art decided to draw the exact movement of his father, Vladek at the time he is telling the story instead of drawing that specific time in the story that is being narrated to him by his father. A good panel which i think this applies is whenever Vladek is pedaling and narrating at the same time (see Figure 1). I think this “trick” brings about…show more content…
Things such as personality traits and habits that are hard to put into a short series of panels as a way to show just how routine and central they are to that specific character. What I mean by direct characterization is when Art describes or has his father describe to him what another person that pertains to the story looks like. Meanwhile, on the other hand, indirect characterization refers to personality traits that are revealed through speech and actions. Art shows the reader this literary device in order to fully capture the essence of that character and their importance in the story at large. For example, when Art and his wife are staying with Vladek in Vermont, she tells Art “ Its so claustrophobic being around Vladek…Hes so anxious” and then continues with “Since gas is included in the rent, he leaves a burner lit all day to save on matches” (see Figure 2). This being a source of indirect characterization of Vladek as a greedy and frugal individual who nobody can stand. This overall once again giving the reader a more well-rounded and concrete, as it can be, identity of each character and why they are included in the…show more content…
This is done in my opinion in order to show how race is not only classified, but viewed, even if it is through stereotypes. Sterotypes such as having a big nose and being a jew. Therefore, mice who do not show their mouths since they have such big noses. The reader would not otherwise know which race each individual character pertained to unless explicitly told by narration. Therefore, defeating Art’s purpose of a graphic novel. However, he can also use these animal heads not just to group people from Vladeks story, but also to represent the time period, how? By doing just that, grouping and erasing individuality at some level, which is what the government at that time was doing not just to jews but to other groups as well, for example Polish non-jews who he drew as pigs. (see Figure
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