Tashi

 The haunting narrative of “Maus,” where anthropomorphic characters depict the Holocaust’s horrors, draws scarily similar parallels with the current situation in Gaza, where Palestinians are being constantly murdered just Jewish people in Auschwitz were. Yet, history seems to be repeating itself where many behave like the Polish did, not wanting to concern themselves with “trouble.”  In Chapter 3 of the second part of Maus, Françoise and Art show two different perspectives the youth have on Holocaust survivors. Françoise empathizes with Vladek, being considerate of his traumatic past, and urges Art to “stay with him a few days longer.” (Spiegelman 250). On the other hand, Art responds rather condescendingly by asking her if she’s “kidding” (250). He doesn’t care about the fragile state his father is in, having to deal with Auschwitz, he just wants to leave. Identically to Françoise, many teenagers actively engage in raising awareness about the atrocities occurring in Gaza in t...

      This series of panels, on page 100, are the result of Art Spiegelman’s father reading his comic about his mother’s death. This scene conveys a sense of isolation. Vladek stays in the confined space of his garage, literally, but also wants to be left secluded, emotionally.        The first four panels are shaded in a way that makes Artie’s clothes appear really dark and his father’s clothes light but slowly, his clothes catch the darkness too. In the last two panels, both of them appear dark until finally, the darkness leaves Artie and latches itself onto his father. Additionally, Vladek’s back is shown completely shaded intially, showing his past consume him. At the end of the series of panels, the darkness creeps up to him until it completely leaves Artie and goes to him.  This “darkness” is the emotional turmoil of Vladek’s past which he is constantly reminded of by Artie. He wanted to be left alone as he was thinking about his life with A...