+
Maus:
Fall 2010 Satire in Literature
Laura McCalla
A Graphic Novel’s Use and
Depiction of Satire
+
Learning Graphic Novel
Terminology
 Panel: A
visual or implied boundary
where the content within tells a piece of
the story.
 Word
panel
 Image panel
 Word and image panel
+
Learning Graphic Novel
Terminology
 Gutter: The
space between the panels.
 Balloons: An
area within the panel
where the words are placed.
 Story
balloons
 Thought balloons
 Dialogue balloons
 Sound effect balloons
 Balloonless balloons
+
Learning Graphic Novel
Terminology

Balloonless balloon
example
+
Art Spiegelman
 About
the Author
+
+
Maus: A Graphic Satire
Juvenalian satire is more
contemptuous, and abrasive than its
counterpart, the Horatian. By
addressing social evil through
scorn, outrage and ridicule,
Juvenalian satire is usually errs on
the side of pessimism and is full of
irony and biting sarcasm.

+
Maus: A Graphic Satire
Maus, though
not outwardly sarcastic
or indignant, is a Juvenalian satire for
two distinct reasons…
 The
novel addresses a great social evil,
the Jewish Holocaust.
 The novel uses anthropomorphist
characters to express the author’s
personal invective.
+
Maus’s Anthropomorphist
Characters
 Mice
 The
Jewish people are
depicted as mice in order to
satirize the German portrayal
of Jewish people as vermin.
However, by using mice to
depict this group, the author
also shows the group’s
resourcefulness.
+
Maus’s Anthropomorphist
Characters
 Cats
 The
Nazis are depicted as cats,
the natural predator of mice
and thereby the Nazis are the
natural predator of the Jewish
people. This relation of a
predator/prey dynamic as it
happens in nature also gives
way to the ideology that latent
anti-Semitism will inevitably
lead to violence.
+
Maus’s Anthropomorphist
Characters
 Dogs
 The
Americans, who many (including the
author and his family) believe were
responsible for liberating the prisoners of the
concentration camps, are depicted as dogs.
This is because dogs chase away cats, but at
the same time most dogs only have a quickly
passing fascination with mice.
+
Maus’s Anthropomorphist
Characters
 Pigs
 German
Nationals, specifically the Polish, are
depicted as pigs because of the author’s
perceived selfishness of these people in their
actions towards the Jewish people during the
reign of Nazi Germany.
+
Maus’s Anthropomorphist
Characters
 Frogs
 The
French are depicted as frogs, partially a nod
to their much used moniker, However, this is was
also done to markedly exhibit the centuries of
anti-Semitism that the French participated in.
 Fish
 British
people are depicted as fish, possibly as a
nod to their great Naval tradition, but most likely
a satire of the author’s perception of British
people’s cold persona.
+
Maus’s Anthropomorphist
Characters
 Gypsy
Moths
 The
Roma gypsy population is depicted as
gypsy moths.
 Reindeer
 Swedish
people are depicted as Reindeer.
+
Two Views on Maus’s
Anthropomorphism as a
Satirical Device…
 There
are commonly two schools of thought
on Spiegelman’s anthropomorphist
characters and how/why they are effective
satirical representations of nationalities
+ Two Views on Maus’s Anthropomorphism
as a Satirical Device…
View 1
The
View 2
animals used are supposed to
 The animals used are supposed to
give
a harsh reality check as to the
showofthat
stereotyping
failings
each
group, as any
wellgroup
as a of
people
leads to of
offensive
and rude
more
mild hailing
their strengths.
thatschool
ultimately
The generalizations
idea behind this
of do not
thought
thatThe
stereotypes
hold is
true.
stereotypesare
used in the
based
onare
some
measure
of truth, to show
book
meant
to self-implode
and that
because
ofcannot
this, those
used
people
be held
intoina
the book
will
hold
up
throughout
singular group.
time.
+ Two Views on Maus’s Anthropomorphism
as a Satirical Device…
View 1
 The
animals used are
supposed to give a
harsh reality check as to
the failings of each
group, as well as a more
mild hailing of their
strengths. The idea
behind this school of
thought is that
stereotypes are based
on some measure of
truth, and because of
this, those used in the
book will hold up
throughout time.
View 2
 The
animals used are
supposed to show that
stereotyping any
group of people leads
to offensive and rude
generalizations that
ultimately do not hold
true. The stereotypes
used in the book are
meant to self-implode
to show that people
cannot be held into a
singular group.
+
Bibliography

http://www.andthevalleyshook.com/2008/8/9/590193/the-great-media-maus-a-sur

http://knutlarsson.blogspot.com/2010/09/16-reasons-why-im-not-at-book-fair.html

http://sasidhar.org/blog/page/2/

http://ghostofthetalkingcricket.squarespace.com/graphic-novel-course-spring-08/

http://www.grovel.org.uk/maus/

http://yareviews.wikispaces.com/Review+4

http://letmelearnyou.wordpress.com/2008/11/04/maus-1-and-2/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Spiegelman

http://trcs.wikispaces.com/Aspects+in+Discrimination's+and+Family+towards+Maus

http://blog.art21.org/2010/07/01/on-view-now-mind-the-gap-thoughts-onrepresenting-the-holocaust-through-comics/

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/03/twilight-graphic-novel-sells-well-sunto-rise-in-east-tomorrow/