Vladik's Holocaust experience was very different in the narrative as compared to other books that I have read. For instance, Vladik never really went to a legitamite labor camp as opposed to other Jews being exposed to harsh labor. It seemed that Vladik always found a way out of going to a concentration camp. I thought this was very interesting, and the experiences remain pretty much the same throughout the entire book because of the fact that he is always running from the Nazis. Of course, at the end he does go to Auschwitz, but the war is almost over and he makes it out alive.
I think the story that is being told visually and not by words is the fact that mice are preys of cats and the mice were the Jews in this case while the Nazis were cats. This also seems to dull down the severity of the Holocaust, even though the Holocaust was no laughing matter. More information is told by the story because of the images. For instance, some parts of the novel are not actually said, but are expressed in the visual boxes of the comic. One example of this is on page 38, in which is shows how Anja is going in the opposite direction of Vladik very drastically.
The narrative was a very good piece of literature, and i enjoyed reading it. I did not like the ending because it left me confused as to what happened next and how Vladik escaped the concentration camp, but that could also be a good thing as well. Maus I My Father Bleeds History is definitely a book that deserves attention for it'd graphics, and interesting storyline.
Yeah i agree when you said you didnt like the ending, it was like a cliff hanger. I would have liked it if there was more closure at the ending but either way i still liked the book. I agree when you said it had an interesting story line as well and the graphics did give more information to the story.
ReplyDeletepretty sure i suck at leaving comments also, im not sure if there is a certain technique to it or what
ReplyDeleteI also thought that Vladik's story was interestingly different from others I've read. He did seem to be extremely lucky, or maybe it was brains that kept he and his wife safe for so long. Then again maybe it would have been better to die rather than having to watch all your loved ones suffer and die, I can't decide how i feel about that one. I really liked the fact that this read was a graphic novel. I thought using animals to depict different groups in the story was briliant and did give it a lighter feel. I think by doing that he allowed it to be more reader friendly. I can see a high school class reading this and staying interested because its not just the same old story. It had a new visual twist to it. This is going to sound strange, but I love to hate that type of ending. It was abrupt, everything was left unfinished and unresolved, and it made me wanting to read Maus II.
ReplyDeleteFirst I want to say I like Toms comment lol but yes you are dead on about the ending. It left you thinking how did this happen. I would really like to know how he escaped or when they had Artie. Your point about the cats and mice or true too. Cats like to kills mice and mice can't do anything but run, they're helpless, just like the Jews were. So I guess the Americans would be dogs or something lol. But I don't why there were pigs?
ReplyDeleteWe have to remember that this is only the first book of two :) More of the story unfolds in the second installment, which I heartily recommend!
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