Journal 3

Below is an excerpt from Art Spiegelman's graphic novel, Maus. The novel is about a young Jewish man who wants to record the experiences of his father survived WWII. His father is very reluctant to tell the stories. Below the father (who is on the bike) is beginning to tell the son when he first heard of the atrocities occurring in Auschwitz.

<-- which characters are shaded? <--why are some shaded and some not? <-- what effect does Spiegelman's use of the comic strip form have you you, the reader? <-- why does he use the form of a graphic novel? <-- how might this influence how readers access the information? <-- what lines are spoken, thought, remembered? <-- how do you know who is talking and if it is someone talking in the present? YOU MUST answer these questions:
*imagine if there were no visuals here. What would the affect be?
* how do the images interact with the text?
* these visuals serve a distinct purpose. what is this purpose?
* how does Spiegelman set the tone?
* What are some of the layers of meaning that you see portrayed here?

*discuss how the visual and textual elements of this piece work together.

Remember, there are no right or wrong answers for these questions. Try to get at least 300 words for this journal.

This is a website from Georgetown University. It might help you find a good place to start your discussion.
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bassr/218/projects/oliver/MausbyAO.htm