Maus

Much of Maus II is driven by its metafictionality. Chapter 2’s overt discussion of the first volume not only reminds readers that they are reading nonfiction—that Vladek’s experiences are real—but they lay bare many of Spiegelman’s private struggles. By depicting himself, the author and artist, as a human wearing a mouse mask, Spiegelman conveys a great deal: This version of himself differs from the mouse that speaks with Vladek while interviewing him. Thus, a separation is drawn between Art the character and Art the author. The mouse-masked version in Chapter 2 of this volume appears to be a way for Spiegelman the author to empathize with Vladek. While working on the book, he “puts on” his Jewishness as if it is a mask—a visual depiction akin to the adage of “walking in another person’s shoes.” Importantly, too, Art’s therapist, Pavel, wears a mouse mask, though he, like Vladek, is a Holocaust survivor. Perhaps Pavel has worked through his trauma in ways that Vladek never did; thus, Vladek is never able to divorce himself from this part of his identity (never able to remove his Jewishness—the part of his identity that caused trauma).

Likewise, when Art is confronted by media personnel who are depicted as cats, the reporters are aligned with the German Nazis, suggesting that they prey on Art in a manner that parallels the Nazis’ persecution of the Jews. This parallel is hyperbolic and intended to convey Art’s feelings of being attacked. In his response to the media, he intends to show that his intentions were genuine—that he sought not to misrepresent or malign Holocaust survivors in any way—but that writing about the Holocaust in any form is problematic. Spiegelman’s use of animals further subjects him to criticism for the way that this dehumanizes the books’ characters. Spiegelman’s aim, however, is both to underscore the way in which racism and racial identity create “others” and to remind readers of the way in which mass genocide requires dehumanization of its victims.

This section also conveys a glimpse of daily life at Auschwitz. Vladek speaks of beatings, shootings, hangings, and other violence that is unfathomable for Art and for readers. Art is not only eager to record his father’s history, but to organize it in a way that one would approach a historical record: By gathering dates and constructing timelines. Vladek stresses, however, that there was no means for prisoners to track time in Auschwitz. This, coupled with the way in which memories fade and distort with time, speaks to the way in which Art will never be able to capture “fact” precisely. Indeed, sometimes Vladek’s experiences contradict the information Spiegelman has obtained via research (such as the record of an orchestra playing at the camp, which Vladek insists is not true). Thus, the theme of the Preservation of History and the Subjectivity of Historical Records is underscored.

Spiegelman’s desire for accuracy and precision in telling his father’s story (as well as a broader Holocaust narrative) is reflected in the illustrations that provide realistic depictions of the organization behind the Nazi genocide of the Jews. A layout of Auschwitz is shown, depicting the proximity of the women’s camp (Birkenau) to illustrate how close they were to each other, even though the camps operated separately. There is also an illustration of the layout of a gas chamber as well as a detailed explanation of the murder process, with drawings of the changing room, shower room, and ovens. As the front moves closer to the camp, Spiegelman presents drawings of mass graves and the burning alive of prisoners in the rush to empty the camp. In images, Spiegelman accomplishes what would have taken pages of description.

This section also draws attention to the tremendous resolve Vladek displays daily at the camp, exemplifying the theme of Survival in the Face of Adversity. Determined to survive, Vladek takes numerous risks by smuggling and trading food but is also constantly on the lookout for opportunities. When he sees a need, he is quick to boast about his skills. In this way, Vladek takes on work which he has no real previous experience with—such as roofing, shoe repair, and machine work—which ultimately serves him in several ways. First, he is rewarded with better rations than other prisoners. Secondly, he is viewed by the S.S. as indispensable and thus spared from the gas chamber. Thirdly, these jobs, coupled with the alliances he makes, allow Vladek to gain secret contact with Anja. Vladek’s relationships sustain him both physically and emotionally, illustrating The Value of Bonds forged through his willingness to take on new challenges. Several illustrations indicate just how savvy Vladek had to be to survive as he did. For instance, there is a drawing of all that is involved in shoe repair, a task for which Vladek had not been trained. Another illustration shows the values used in the camp barter—one loaf of bread equals three cigarettes, and 200 cigarettes equal one bottle of vodka—and how transactional life became for prisoners trying to negotiate for creature comforts or their survival or that of a loved one.

Chapter 3 further complicates Vladek’s character by revealing more of both his flaws and his virtues. As the narrative resumes detailing Art and Françoise’s time with Vladek in the Catskills, the traits that make Vladek difficult to sympathize with become increasingly clear. His frugality is depicted as extreme as he demands that the grocery store refund him for partially used groceries. Art is not only embarrassed by the scene Vladek makes but frustrated because, in truth, Vladek can easily afford the small waste of unused groceries. Vladek is unfailingly strict in adhering to his principles, and his inability to waste even a minor amount of money is one of his defining traits. Spiegelman’s inclusion of such events—though they do not directly relate to Auschwitz—does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of characterizing Vladek.

The hitchhiker scene also reveals some of Vladek’s unexpected flaws. While Art can, to a degree, detect logic in Vladek’s frugality, he cannot explain Vladek’s bigotry. The racial slurs that Vladek mutters in Yiddish not only reveal Vladek’s racist beliefs about Black people, but his use of Yiddish indicates that he does not want the hitchhiking man to know what he is saying, thus proving that Vladek understands that his beliefs are disrespectful. He cannot, however, help but voice his opposition, so strong is his dislike for Black people and sincere his beliefs in the negative stereotypes he associates with them. Art points out the extreme irony and lack of logic in Vladek’s beliefs due to the way that Vladek himself—a victim of antisemitism—should recognize the harm of racism and false beliefs. Though he tries to reason with Vladek, Vladek clings to his beliefs, insisting they are valid. This incident, then, adds a layer of complexity to the book’s wrestling with the bigotry that led to the Holocaust, pointing to how engrained such xenophobia can be.