Maus Essay Graphic Organizer #3: Putting It All Together
Prompt: How can systems perpetuate discrimination and violence? What systems did the Nazis
manipulate and/or implement to oppress European Jews leading up to the Holocaust?
Introduction Brainstorm
Systems as positive forces
Systems as oppressive forces
Introduction Paragraph
1. Define systems
2. Systems can be forces for good. For instance, systems _________________________________.
3. While systems can be forces for good, they also can perpetuate discrimination and violence. For
example, systems _________________________________.
4. Systems have been used throughout history to oppress groups of people. From _____________ to
_____________, systems have been manipulated or implemented as weapons for oppression.
5. Perhaps one of the more historically infamous examples of this is the Nazi oppression of Jews.
The Nazis manipulated and implemented various systems to oppress European Jews leading up
the Holocaust.
6. Both Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus and audiovisual testimony from Holocaust survivors
depict these systems of oppression. Specifically, they examine how __________, __________,
and __________ systems were used to perpetuate discrimination and violence against Jews.
Body Paragraphs
Claim: The Nazis manipulated/implemented the ____________ system to ____________ Jews.
Evidence: Say + Mean
Link: Matter
Evidence: Say + Mean
Link: Matter
** Select a word in your claim and repeat it or use a synonym for it in the final sentence of your paragraph.**
In-text Citations

Maus: Quote lead + “Quotation” (Spiegelman page #)
o

Examples of quote leads:

In panel x, Vladek says to Art, “Quotation”

Vladek explains, “Quotation” in panels x and x.

Art asserts in panel x, “Quotation”
Survivor Testimony: Quote lead + “Quotation” (Last name of survivor)
o
In his testimony about life in the ghettos, [First and Last Name] asserts, “Quotation”
o
As she explains the new Nazi economic systems, [First and Last Name] says,
“Quotation”
o
[First and Last Name] describes her personal experience with x, she explains,
“Quotation”
Adding or omitting words in quotations

If you add a word or words in a quotation, you should put brackets around the words to indicate
that they are not part of the original text.
o
Jan Harold Brunvand, in an essay on urban legends, states, "some individuals [who
retell urban legends] make a point of learning every rumor or tale" (78).

If you omit a word or words from a quotation, you should indicate the deleted word or words by
using ellipsis marks, which are three periods ( . . . ) preceded and followed by a space. For
example:
o
In an essay on urban legends, Jan Harold Brunvand notes that "some individuals make a
point of learning every recent rumor or tale . . . and in a short time a lively exchange of
details occurs" (78).
Conclusion
1. Summarize your main arguments.
2. Why should we care about systems having the ability to become oppressive forces? What can we
learn from the Holocaust? Do we have systems of oppression in modern society? If so, what
systems?
Works Cited