The effect of the Comic on Art’s dad

      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 Anja which is shown through the gloomy poignant atmosphere through shading. 

      Art Spiegelman also uses his father’s actions of separating nails to show how he wants to forget his past. He is “putting… away [his] old nails.” (Spiegelman 100) and making “the long ones separate from the short ones.” This shows his efforts to separate himself from his painful past. Vladek is then asked by his past, Artie, if he needs help to which he responds, “With my life now, you know it can’t be everything okay.” This also shows how pasts keeps coming back to him despite his efforts to forget the damage done by it. He knows that everything will never be okay yet, he continues his efforts to minimize the effects of his past. 

       Essentially, Art Spiegelman is showing the long-term effects of the Holocaust on its survivors. As much as they try to change circumstances and forget their old memories, just as Vladek said, things “can’t be… okay.”