In Maus II, Art Spielgelman depicts the experience of the Jewish race during the holocaust between 1940 and 1945. Speilgelman uses a wide variety of techniques to convey the terror and cruelty his father suffered in the most horrific of the concentration camps, Auschwitz. Spielgelman’s key techniques used are the use of mask’s and animal characters, black/white colouring and shadings, dialogues, comic script effect, and diagrams and photos. All of these techniques make Spielgelman’s book successful in its own rights, but they also detract from the reading experience in parts, often lending the book to become a monotonous reading experience.
Spielgelman’s most prominent and obvious technique used in the writing of Maus is the use of animal characters instead of the usual human cast. They are used to identify all the character's nationality throughout the novel. Using animal characters makes it extremely easy to identify which country a character comes from so the reader doesn't have to think very hard, this makes it easier to read without distractions and also means that younger generations can read and understand the novel in its full context. Spielgelman drew the Jews as mice and the Germans as cats. The Jews were seen as a
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At the bottom of page 134 Spielgelman places a portrait of Vladek that is a masterstroke. On page 70, there is a diagram that shows the insides of the gas chambers. Onomatopoeia adds that extra ‘zing’. It helps the reader get a layout of look of something that words can not compete with. How could Spielgelman conjure this idea in the heads of his readers when it is obviously too complicated to be described? That is why Spielgelman wrote this story in comic format. Spielgelman did not have a lot of room to move when it came to general speech because Vladek’s story is that of fact. This effect is used effectively in Maus II because without it each of the frames would seem lifeless. For example, “WWWWAAAAAHHHHHHH!” It can be handy for setting the scene and provides ‘background noise’.
At random places in Maus II Spielgelman incudes various images. The only time they are shaded is when they are physically, emotionally or mentally hurt. On the other hand, the Jews are shaded lightly if at all to show their innocence and pureness of heart. For a hazardous topic, Spielgelman has used caution to avoid the backfire he was risking, wrote an impressive account of the holocaust and illustrated the consequences it caused. On page 115, Spielgelman shows drawings of photos of his descendants. They vary from the most basic of cartooning techniques like diagrams and dialogue to the imaginative like animal representation, onomatopoeia and the photo’s, both drawn or authentic.
Approximate Word count =
949
Approximate Pages =
4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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