Concluding thoughts on MAUS...

Some questions to ponder:
1. Overall, how would you characterize Art's portrayal of the elder Vladek in comparison to the younger Vladek?
2. How much blame should be placed on Art for the poor relationship he has with Vladek?
3. What was your immediate reaction to "Prisoner on the Hell Planet"?
4. Did you notice the allusion to the Third Reich eagle emblem on page 101?What is Spiegelman attempting to convey by its inclusion? 
5. Explain the contrast between "Hell Planet" and Maus.
6. Does Art have a right to be angry with Vladek?
7. Explain the deeper meaning behind Art's closing thoughts.
8. What did you think about the conclusion of the book? Why did Spiegelman choose to conclude it in this way?

Tonight:
Friday reading editorial cartoon
Maus General Questions:
1. Answer the following questions about Art’s relationship with his father:
a. Overall, based on the memoir, what do you think Art’s relationship with his father is like? Why is it this way?
b. In general, how does Art portray his father? Do you think this is a fair representation? Why do you think he portrays him in the way he does?
c. To what extent do you think Art accurately represents his father's story? Do you think he has embellished it any way? What might have been added or left out?
d. How does Art portray himself? Why does he include himself in his father's story of the Holocaust?
2. What is the importance, throughout the text, of Art's reflections on the process of putting together this book?
3. What is the relationship between history and the present in the book? Explain these connections, citing three examples from the book.
4. To what extent are the characters caught in the past? Are all Holocaust survivors and their children prisoners of history?
5. What are some of the features that characterize Spiegelman's graphic style? How do these contribute to his memoir? How do they shape our understanding of his father's story?
6. In general, how is the Holocaust represented in Spiegelman's text? How does the comic book format affect this representation?
7. Having come to the end of Volume One, what is the significance of the volume's subtitle, "My Father Bleeds History"?