Maus I and II

1
Maus I and II

• The Representation of the Holocaust in a Comic
  Novel and Second Generation Issues

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Art Spiegelman

• Celebrated cartoonist
• Co-founded and edited the graphics magazine Raw
  (started in the 1970s).
• His work has been published in many journals and
  other media (for example, The New York Times,
  Playboy, The Village Voice)
• His drawings have been exhibited in museums,
  galleries here and abroad.
• He lives in NYC with his wife, Francoise Mouly
  and their daughter Nadja.

3
Vladek Spiegelman

• Arts father survived the Holocaust.
• His personal history is in this comic novel.
• Art chronicles his fathers memories.

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Maus I and Maus II

• Maus I appeared in 1973, Maus II in 1986.
• Art Spiegelmans most famous work.
• It has received many awards, here and in Germany.
• New set of issues. The son is writing about his
  fathers survival. The sons relationship to his
  father and his past is really the focus.

5
Questions for Discussion

• 1. Is this a strong representation of the
  Holocaust? Why or why not?
• 2. What are the strengths and weakness of a comic
  novel in relation to this subject matter?
• 3. What does it tell you about the way the way
  survivors dealt with reality after the Holocaust
  experience?
• 4. What does it tell you about the families of
  Holocaust survivors?
• 5. Describe the style of the novel and techniques
  used. How are they effective?