Maus Analysis Text

      I found a general analysis of Maus I and II on a docshare website here is the link: http://www.docshare.com/doc/158846/Textual-Analysis-of-Art-Spiegelmans-Maus-I-am . I believe that it is similar to what we have been discussing in class and touches on similar themes. The author is not mentioned and the analysis is rather short but I think it discusses very important points. 

    The analysis text would not be the best to use for a lens essay due to the fact that it briefly describes why the author believes Spiegelman wrote Maus in the format it was written. The author states that a comic strip was undoubtedly  the best way to separate Vladek's story from the other victims of the Holocaust. The comic strip allows Spiegelman to easily transition from past to present without confusion. It also allows the reader/ viewer to easily see the emotion involved in literature such as Maus. 

    The author also brings to our attention that Spiegelman chose to portray all the characters as animals because it keeps the story"fable-like". I do agree with this statement but the author continues on to state that this is because Spiegleman did not want the reader to have to feel the pain as if the characters were human. However as I read the text I definitely saw people not just animals. This allowed easy identification of the characters, however it did not take away from the pain the characters show to the reader.

    The author lastly states that the comic strip and details included make the story very personal. I also agree with this. However, I feel that a more complex analysis would have stated that Spiegelman wanted to ensure that the reader realized that this is not the grand narrative of the Holocaust. The author just brushed the surface of this idea. I feel that within the text it is very obvious that Spiegelman wants the reader to see this as an individual story. As a part of the Holocaust but not the whole. This is to allow the reader to realize that the experience of one man does not account for the experiences of all the victims of the Holocaust.