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Week Seven: MAUS


I was deeply engrossed by this story, and more emotionally stirred while reading it than I had ever expected to be. Throughout the book, I often found myself amazed that such rough and simple drawings, of animals nonetheless, could be so moving, and portray such a complex topic as the Holocaust with detail and sincerity.  I believe a lot of the literary magic of this story has to do with the incredible complexity and honesty in which Spiegelman represents his father Vladek. Throughout the story, we see Vladek from many different perspectives, and in both positive and negative lights. To me this made the story extremely relatable as I reflected on the men in my life, and really made the story feel a lot more genuine. On top of Spiegelmans’ complex character development, I felt like the tone and pace of the story felt very balanced, and rhythmic. He would dip in and out of his father’s account of the war for just long enough without it getting too heavy, while still maintaining a cohesive and engaging narrative. His fathers experience throughout the war would have been an extremely interesting read in and of itself, but the magic that Spiegelman brings through his craft really brings the whole story to life in a powerful way.

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