One can say that MAUS is a book about the Holocaust, yet, it is so much more than that. Like Art mentions himself within the first few chapter of the comic, a closer look into the life of a specific person humanizes the whole experience. Ironically, this very humanized story is portrayed with animals for people. This notion of the graphic novel has been widely discussed. I believe Art chose to do so for two reasons: 1) giving each 'race' an animal dumbs down the inferred relationships between these races to their most basic element [ex. Jews are mice, Germans are cats, cats hunt mice], and 2) by simplifying these characters so much and giving them mouse heads, we are able to relate to them better. This concept of cartoons being easier to empathize with compared to more realistic images is thoroughly discussed in chapter two of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics. By using such simple lines, it is the reader's mind that fills in the rest. In this way, the reader feels more like they are the character rather than just watching the character. What better way to have someone truly understand the experience of the Holocaust than by having them become a part of it?
The story is broken up by the 'return to reality' with Art and Vladek. This was a good decision in terms of story telling. As the tale gets more and more heavy as truths about the Holocaust are revealed, the reader needs the break back into 'present time'. This also helps the reader remember that it's not just a comic about the holocaust they are reading, but the recounted tale of a man who actually lived through it. We are there with Vladek in those scenes, in the room, listening to his accented English as he pedals on his exercise bike.
This, too, humanizes the experience. I believe the reason MAUS is so acclaimed is that it gives the reader an approachable, personal experience of the Holocaust, not just a dry documentary about horrible events.
No comments:
Post a Comment