Post 7 (Week 7)

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Maus was one of the most memorable graphic novels I've read so far in this class, and the heaviness of the subject matter is off put slightly by the use of animals. I had heard previously of Maus, but hadn't picked up on the series until now. The Personification of people as animals was one of the most interesting aspects, and it created a sense of cat and mouse for the main protagonist of the story and the other jewish folk trying to escape the clutches of the germans. I found the motif to be a bit insensitive overall, but the use of "masks" to disguise themselves in the crowds had an added weight of symbolism for me. While the masks were not actually there in the true portrayal of events, the duplicitous nature of them typically would be used to hide the actions of an antagonist, but serve to ensure the safety of the protagonist in this increasingly antagonist world. On an interesting note, looking at the main Protagonist himself, he is not squeaky clean. He himself has a number of quirks, and appears to be racist as well. He isn't an evil character, but does what he needs to in order to survive and remain out of sight. With how gruesome the events of WWII was for the jewish folks and those that survived, the effects of it all can still be felt in the survivors of the story.

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