Maus II

Well, shit sure did hit the fan in Maus II as the focus shifted from evading the Nazis to being a prisoner in Auschwitz. In my last post, I made a remark about the folly of trying to judge a complete work based solely on its first half. And I stand by that remark; not only did I enjoy Maus II and get a lot out of it, but I also appreciate Maus I all the more in hindsight. I think I began to understand more fully the story Art Spiegelman was trying to convey. It isn't just one about how his father survived the Holocaust; it's just as much a story about how Art himself has dealt with being the son of such a troubled man. There's a lot more introspection and the fourth wall all but vanishes at some points. An early scene shows Art talking to his wife about the book he's writing. "What kind of animal will I be in your book?" asks his wife, albeit being a mouse within the context of the scene. Since she is French, Art's wife could be depicted as a frog. But since she converted to Judaism, she could also be a mouse. This paradox really helps drive home a message I think I missed in Maus I: that it is foolish to try to divide racial and ethnic groups into animals. This becomes a recurring theme of sorts, as there is a German Jew in Auschwitz who the Jews see as a cat but who the Nazis see as a mouse. I think when all is said and done, I still got more out of Persepolis than I did from Maus, but that's probably because I've seen or heard or watched half a dozen stories about the horrors of the Holocaust whereas Persepolis took me to a place I'd never seen before - namely, Iran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War. I give both bio-graphic novels (see what I did there?) two thumbs up, and you should venture forth and read either series with confidence. I mean, if you trust me, and all.