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 plague by the Germans, much the same as mice are seen as a pest in today's society. The Germans were drawn as cats because cats are seen as the solution to the problem of mouse over population, much the same was as the Germans saw themselves the solution to Jewish over population. Also, mice are seen as careful and clever, a trait shared by the stereotype of the Jews.
             Another technique that Spielgelman use's is black/white colouring and shadings. Spielgelman's novel is completely illustrated in black and white which gives the reader an idea as to what the weather is like and also shows day/night times. Shading is also used to show strong emotions of anger or resentment. F
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