learntoquestion ltq discussions

Originally posted by coolturtle on February 02, 2026 20:08

Spiegelman’s work of Maus is effective in capturing the emotional and historical weight of the Holocaust. I think that the Holocaust is often brought down to abstract statistics and numbers. People refer to the event as a the killing of millions of Jews with a number of Nazis perpetrators. However in Spiegelman’s novel, the choice of a graphic novel and an intergenerational parallel between father and son brim these abstract statistics into something real and authentic. In Maus I, there is a particular scene where Artie is riding a bike. Spiegelman then switches back and forth between the present, Artie and Vladek having a conversation, and the past, where Vladek is living in a concentration camps. I think throughout the novel, Spiegelman spurs back and forth between both narratives in order to show the burden Artie has to carry and the mental struggle Vladek has had to face his entire life. This gradual integration of both stories builds the layers of trauma on top of one another. As the novel progresses, we see Artie’s behavior become more defensive, short mannered, and often impulsive as he attempts to capture the entirety of his father’s story. We also see a change in Vladek. Despite him being nagging in his son’s eyes, Vladek grows a deeper connection with his son. In a way Spiegelman purposefully does this to show the character development of both characters and the importance of acknowledging generational trauma among many families who are traced to a victim of the Holocaust. Furthermore, the narrative is deeply personal to Artie and the first-person account of the narrative allows readers to grasp the Holocaust in its authentic form. Despite the medium lacking seriousness to some critics, I think it helps the book become more useful in conveying the events of the Holocaust. Graphic novels are much easier to process and with such heavy, sensitive topics like the Holocaust it can be hard for readers to process. Spiegelman is able to use his father’s story in a way that is authentic for readers and also original. The choice of a graphic novel and the choice of the topic create an ambiguous narrative that highlights all the importance of acknowledging the Holocaust. In “The Shadow of a Past Time,” the text refers to the iconic phrase that “time is space.” What makes Maus so special is its ability to utilize its spatiality in order to represent the complicated entwining of the past and present by “packing” the tight spaces of panels. In a way, metaphorically he is able to capture the all too real experiences of his father during the Holocaust. This use of space and the comic book panel is how Spiegelman is able to approach such history effectively. In retrospect, what makes Maus so effective in capturing the weight of the Holocaust, both emotionally and historically, is the utilization of comic media itself and the personal perspective Spiegelman takes into his own book.

The most compelling idea of this post is that Spiegelman's use of the space on the page and the movements between past and present makes the Holocaust more emotionally real rather than abstract. I think this is a compelling idea because Maus doesn't just teach its readers about history, it focuses on making the reader feel the history. One of the parts that I liked the most was the analysis of the scene with the bicycle, where Artie and Vladek switch between past and present as they discuss the past and present memories in the concentration camps. I think this is so compelling because it suggests that the trauma is not just a historical event, but something that affects relationships that exist in the present. I think this idea shows that the comic form is necessary as the content as this part of the story would not have been possible without the medium. One of the concepts present throughout other posts is the focus on memory, testimony, and intergenerational trauma examining the impact on children of survivors. I agree with other posts' arguments as I also believe that Maus is a book that is concerned with intergenerational trauma. However, I think that there is a difference in that there is emphasis on Artie's position as a narrator and how it is complicated by Vladek's actions.

Originally posted by sunnydays on February 03, 2026 08:37

The use of the comic form in Maus is an effective way of communicating the emotions of the Holocaust in a digestible way. When discussing the Holocaust, it's easy to get overwhelmed by or desensitized to the horrors of what happened. By using simple images, Spiegelman is able to balance feeling the weight of what happened with understanding it factually. There are several scenes - such as when Nazi soldiers smash a child against a wall (Maus I, 108) and the Hungarians burning (Maus II, 72) - where the emotional impact comes through in a way the human brain can still process and accept. This is similar to what Paul Buhle says in the article - "[Maus is] the most compelling of any [Holocaust] depiction because only the caricatured quality of comic art is equal to the seeming unreality of an experience beyond all reason." Additionally, the comic form allows Spiegelman to simplify very complex concepts, such as the use of mice and cats to represent Jews and non-Jewish Germans. By the end of Maus II, I was getting tense every time I saw a cat, even if it wasn't a Nazi. In this way, Spiegelman gives a sense of what it was like to live with these seemingly glaring differences. Similarly, there are many scenes where explaining would take away a lot of the emotional weight, like when Vladek barely escapes Nazis with his black market goods (Maus I, 78) and when Artie is struggling to write Maus (Maus II, 41), so the comic form helps convey the story more purely.

I also think using the comic form is a really effective way to integrate the past into the present. The panels easily slide between the story and Vladek telling it. In a traditional book, the author would need to describe Vladek telling the story or describe the story itself; in this comic, the narration is Vladek's, but Spiegelman is able to show the story itself or Vladek telling it, helping the reader better connect to the Holocaust and understand that this a real person's story. Vladek's interjections, such as when he spills his pills or when he starts to have a heart attack while walking with Artie, also help ground the story in reality and in the present, and help the reader understand the lasting effects the Holocaust have on Vladek.

There are places, however, that the comic form just does not suit what is being conveyed. Strangely, it's usually not the heaviest parts. Spiegelman is usually very good at expressing emotions through the mice that come across as real, not laughable, such as Vladek's sadness when he talks about Richieu's death (Maus I, 61), the man starving who can't stop talking about bread (Maus I, 123), and Tosha's conviction before she kills herself and the children (Maus I, 109). However, there are some scenes that are just drawn so ridiculously the seriousness doesn't come through, such as Vladek starving to avoid being drafted into the army (Maus I, 46), Mala's anger at Vladek (Maus I, 93), and Artie's chilly voice (Maus II, 23). However, I think overall Spiegelman does a good job giving the Holocaust the weight it deserves, in a way people are willing to read and understand.

I agree completely with the idea that the comic form makes something like the Holocaust more digestable. I also believe that despite it being more digestible and having a seemingly soft, almost child-like artsytle, it is still geared towards mature audiences. The book strikes a good balance between the seriousness of the Holocaust and the digestible nature of the comic boom formula. One point that I didn’t think of (but I totally agree with) is that the author (Art Spiegelman) does a great job at building up tension during the tail end of the novel with the death marches and the cats. It gets to a point where the reader cannot tell whether or not Vladek will be attacked or killed by a German soldier. Even the German citizens, who have been greatly influenced by the Holocaust, continued to view Jewish people as evil despite the end of the war. The only part that I disagree with is the fact that there are certain parts of the novel that the graphic art style doesn’t suit. I think that clearly, Spiegelman was attempting to make it as raw, but digestible as possible. I think this is why scenes like Vladek starving to avoid being drafted were drawn the way they were, because of the fact that it would otherwise draw too great a contrast between the more lighthearted animal style and the true horrors of the Holocaust. I think it’s important to know that Spiegelman wasn’t simply trying to capture as much brutality as possible, rather attempting to strike a strong balance between realistic tragedy and understandable content.

Originally posted by lordofthenumbers on February 03, 2026 21:37

Spiegelman’s use of the comic form does effectively convey the weight of the Holocaust, as there were multiple moments that truly made me pause and think about the absolute horror that people felt in the face of the Holocaust. Even with the anthropomorphic depictions of people, Spiegelman was able to, in some ways, show how horrific the Holocaust was. For example, on page 32 of Maus I, the birth of Richieu is depicted, and the reader is sent out of the past and into the present, as that is something that is almost overly personal. Richieu’s death was something that was too “real”, and so, Artie avoided depicting it with detail. In the complete collection of Maus, Artie avoids talking too much about the parts of his life that were impacted by the Holocaust present day, excluding his old comic. In this way he is able to connect the too-horrific past to his present, to the real life of a real person. This is also shown through the actions of Vladek, of him when he destroyed the diaries of Anja, despite the important role in history they seemed to play.

Spiegelman does a fantastic job of using the format in order to connect the past to the present, and, according to Chute’s analysis of the novel, does it through the usage of gutters. The present is blocked off from the lines that block off each panel, from the “story” of the past. Additionally, he used panels of Vladek standing in front of his depiction of the past to show how even still the trauma he experienced is still active in his life. The emotions are strong and real, even if it seems to be so far off in the past.

The argument against the suggestion of the “unseriousness” of the graphic novel lies in Artie himself. In his own-self doubt in creation, he solves the argument of if it is serious enough. To think about it, like he does on page 176, acknowledges this question, and answers it. To create art and doubt it, but to continue to create it shows how it was thought about and in some way forced to be “serious enough”.

Your posts’s most compelling argument is how you connected Spiegelman’s formal choices to avoidance and in particular that claim that experiences such as Richie's death or artie’s trauma are too “real” to be depicted. I strongly agree with your point here because it is interesting how it frames silence as intentional strategies to reflect trauma. Your example of the past to present change on page 32 shows how spiegelman uses disruption to show the limits of emotion instead of gaps in narration. I also liked how you mentioned Vladek destroying Anja’s diaries because I saw that as particularly important. This scene supports your idea about how there is a clash between historical responsibility and personal pain and it connects to posts that show how Maus is not written as a complete holocaust narrative. I also liked how you referenced Chute’s analysis of and how it shows an understanding of how images can create meaning. My view is similar to yours as being able to see the graphic novel as deeply serious but I would push more on the self doubt that artie has throughout the novel. I think that it also shows how representation can sometimes feel impossible instead of just unserious. A suggestion for improvement would be to clarify a few transitions so your ideas can flow better.

Originally posted by anonymous on February 02, 2026 10:33

Maus uses the comic form not to “lighten” the holocaust, but to make its weight easier to understand, making it a legible format that lets readers understand how real the story is. The visual language used, black and white panels, cramped feeling drawings, and the recurring images of incomprehensible acts all add to the feeling of constraint that gives the reader a feeling of realism despite the surrealism of animals in a comic format. Comics show how a person exists within a space, allowing for fear and vulnerability to be shown in posture, facial expressions, and crowdedness, allowing for a much better understanding of how individuals were swallowed up by the events around them. Visuals of a small figure surrounded by huge architecture, crowds, or even a war let the reader see instead of imagining the scale of the holocaust without getting caught up in nameless and faceless statistics. The simplicity of Maus’s drawing does not reduce the horror as it instead strips away distractions that would come with elaborate drawings. Instead Maus lets the reader confront the facts of persecution, loss, survival, and the damage that stays afterwards.The graphic novel style is particularly effective in moving back and forth between past and present, as it easily switches time without disrupting emotional connection, Spiegelman constantly switches in between the now and then, sometimes even on the same page, creating a story that doesn't lose its focus on either the holocaust of then or the trauma of now. One panel can be a drawing of Vladek in the 70s as the next panel puts the reader in occupied Poland, seamlessly connecting the past and present to effectively tell both stories. The way the reader understands the story in its straightforward but non linear fashion adds to their immersion and the realism of the book. The argument against those who claim that comics can be serious is that seriousness comes from purpose and personal engagement not a medium's reputation. Spiegelman makes use of comics with care and attention to pacing, symbolism, and distancing deviance such as the animal allegory that comment on nature and the challenge of showing atrocity.

I agree with your viewpoint, and I like how you included a mention of the cramped drawings. That isn't something that I mentioned in my post, but is something that I picked up on sometimes, like when characters would have conversations. Those drawings were also used intentionally at several points in the story, like when Vladek, Anja, and her family moved into a small house after they were displaced and forced into a ghetto. I appreciated the simple drawings as well, and I think they helped with understanding the story by bringing focus to a specific part of Vladek's life. The images helped anchor the reader in Vladek's story, which is why I think Spiegelman was so effective in his storytelling and switching between past and present. I like the point made about the story being straightforward but also non linear. While reading, I did realize that the way that the story is told feels like I am present while Vladek recounts his story. I think this observation helps to support the use of a comic book for this kind of story. I think the argument against comic books is very weak, because criticisms of Maus use other comic books with themes and messages that are very different from Maus. I believe that when you just look at the value of Maus, we can see how much value this book really has. This argument is very flawed, because it doesn't allow for Maus to stand as its own style of comic.

Art Spiegelman's use of the comic form in Maus is powerful in conveying both the emotional and historical weight of the Holocaust. Rather than making a joke of the subject, the graphic novel format becomes a tool for showing memory and trauma. The visuals allow Spiegelman to move through past and present fluidly, showing how Vladek’s memories are not just stories but actively shape his relationship with Artie. In Maus I, the panels often go from Vladek’s narration of 1930’s Poland to Artie’s present day frustration with his father’s stinginess or controlling habits. These transitions show that Vladek does not only tell his story, he relives it, and the comic form makes that visible. The imagery of Jews as mice and Germans as cats also deepens the emotional impact. On the surface the animal metaphor seems useless but Spiegelman uses it to expose racial categorization. In Maus II when Artie says you can’t tell who’s a Jew, the panel shows him wearing a mouse mask over a human face. The image shows what writing might not be able to, which is how identity under Nazism was enforced, The mask becomes a symbol of inherited trauma. Artie is not a survivor but he feels the need to wear the weight of his parents' past. The argument that comics lack seriousness misunderstands how the form and the content mix. Spiegelman addresses this in his own writing in Maus II. Artie is overwhelmed by reporters and critiques who question whether a comic can do justice to genocide. Artie grows smaller and smaller being literally crushed by the weight of representation. This self reflective moment becomes part of the argument that comic style does not lack seriousness. Spiegelman is honest about what the comic form can and can not do and that creates a space for readers to confront trauma. Ultimately the graphic novel format allows Maus to be true to multiple things at once: the horror of the Holocaust, the survivors and their broken humanity, and the inheritance taken by the next generation. Rather than taking away from the seriousness, the comic shows how the past continues to live in the present.

Originally posted by coolturtle on February 02, 2026 20:08

Spiegelman’s work of Maus is effective in capturing the emotional and historical weight of the Holocaust. I think that the Holocaust is often brought down to abstract statistics and numbers. People refer to the event as a the killing of millions of Jews with a number of Nazis perpetrators. However in Spiegelman’s novel, the choice of a graphic novel and an intergenerational parallel between father and son brim these abstract statistics into something real and authentic. In Maus I, there is a particular scene where Artie is riding a bike. Spiegelman then switches back and forth between the present, Artie and Vladek having a conversation, and the past, where Vladek is living in a concentration camps. I think throughout the novel, Spiegelman spurs back and forth between both narratives in order to show the burden Artie has to carry and the mental struggle Vladek has had to face his entire life. This gradual integration of both stories builds the layers of trauma on top of one another. As the novel progresses, we see Artie’s behavior become more defensive, short mannered, and often impulsive as he attempts to capture the entirety of his father’s story. We also see a change in Vladek. Despite him being nagging in his son’s eyes, Vladek grows a deeper connection with his son. In a way Spiegelman purposefully does this to show the character development of both characters and the importance of acknowledging generational trauma among many families who are traced to a victim of the Holocaust. Furthermore, the narrative is deeply personal to Artie and the first-person account of the narrative allows readers to grasp the Holocaust in its authentic form. Despite the medium lacking seriousness to some critics, I think it helps the book become more useful in conveying the events of the Holocaust. Graphic novels are much easier to process and with such heavy, sensitive topics like the Holocaust it can be hard for readers to process. Spiegelman is able to use his father’s story in a way that is authentic for readers and also original. The choice of a graphic novel and the choice of the topic create an ambiguous narrative that highlights all the importance of acknowledging the Holocaust. In “The Shadow of a Past Time,” the text refers to the iconic phrase that “time is space.” What makes Maus so special is its ability to utilize its spatiality in order to represent the complicated entwining of the past and present by “packing” the tight spaces of panels. In a way, metaphorically he is able to capture the all too real experiences of his father during the Holocaust. This use of space and the comic book panel is how Spiegelman is able to approach such history effectively. In retrospect, what makes Maus so effective in capturing the weight of the Holocaust, both emotionally and historically, is the utilization of comic media itself and the personal perspective Spiegelman takes into his own book.

The most compelling idea in your post is the argument that Spiegelman uses the grpahinc novel form to pack the panels with layers of trauma, visually representing how the past and present collapse into one another. Your reference to “time is space” from The Shadow of a Past Time connects to the way Maus uses tight, compressed panels to mirror the psychological compression of memory. I agree with you that this spatial technique is one of the most effective ways Spiegelman conveys the emotional weight of the Holocaust.Your argument about the inter-generational dynamic between Artie and Vladek is also strong, especially your point that the structure shows the burden Artie carries as he tries to record his father’s story. One suggestion for strengthening your post would be to make the example of Artie riding his bike clearer. You describe the scene well, but adding a bit more detail about how the panel visually reinforce the emotional shift would make your point stronger. You might also expand slightly on your claim that graphic novels are “easier to process” not because the content is lighter, but because the visual form allows readers to confront difficult material in a better way.

Originally posted by coolturtle on February 02, 2026 20:08

Spiegelman’s work of Maus is effective in capturing the emotional and historical weight of the Holocaust. I think that the Holocaust is often brought down to abstract statistics and numbers. People refer to the event as a the killing of millions of Jews with a number of Nazis perpetrators. However in Spiegelman’s novel, the choice of a graphic novel and an intergenerational parallel between father and son brim these abstract statistics into something real and authentic. In Maus I, there is a particular scene where Artie is riding a bike. Spiegelman then switches back and forth between the present, Artie and Vladek having a conversation, and the past, where Vladek is living in a concentration camps. I think throughout the novel, Spiegelman spurs back and forth between both narratives in order to show the burden Artie has to carry and the mental struggle Vladek has had to face his entire life. This gradual integration of both stories builds the layers of trauma on top of one another. As the novel progresses, we see Artie’s behavior become more defensive, short mannered, and often impulsive as he attempts to capture the entirety of his father’s story. We also see a change in Vladek. Despite him being nagging in his son’s eyes, Vladek grows a deeper connection with his son. In a way Spiegelman purposefully does this to show the character development of both characters and the importance of acknowledging generational trauma among many families who are traced to a victim of the Holocaust. Furthermore, the narrative is deeply personal to Artie and the first-person account of the narrative allows readers to grasp the Holocaust in its authentic form. Despite the medium lacking seriousness to some critics, I think it helps the book become more useful in conveying the events of the Holocaust. Graphic novels are much easier to process and with such heavy, sensitive topics like the Holocaust it can be hard for readers to process. Spiegelman is able to use his father’s story in a way that is authentic for readers and also original. The choice of a graphic novel and the choice of the topic create an ambiguous narrative that highlights all the importance of acknowledging the Holocaust. In “The Shadow of a Past Time,” the text refers to the iconic phrase that “time is space.” What makes Maus so special is its ability to utilize its spatiality in order to represent the complicated entwining of the past and present by “packing” the tight spaces of panels. In a way, metaphorically he is able to capture the all too real experiences of his father during the Holocaust. This use of space and the comic book panel is how Spiegelman is able to approach such history effectively. In retrospect, what makes Maus so effective in capturing the weight of the Holocaust, both emotionally and historically, is the utilization of comic media itself and the personal perspective Spiegelman takes into his own book.

I think this overall opinion is a fitting analysis of Maus. The bicycle scene, which I thought about including in my own response and it shows in particular how the graphic novel uses movement as a motif. Movement and mobility shows how Vladek is paradoxically in place and inable to escape the past despite trying his hardest. And it works well with your argument that the Holocaust is a persisting psychology rather than just a simple historical event. It’s not merely finished and I think that people don’t realize that. I also agree with the defense you had of the graphic novel format. It lacks seriousness, but I believe that’s what makes it so groundbreaking. The visual component of it allows Art Spiegelman to show claustrophobia, which he repeatedly does to reinforce the aforementioned condensed victim psyche, meaning that the mental state of Vladek (and by extension, Artie) can be beautifully represented in a show-don’t tell. There’s also this sense of having a dual narrative. There’s a difference between the perspective of Artie and Vladek that drives most of the conflict, which the graphinc novel art form symbolically uses. Overall, I do like your own perspective of the dual narrative and how Maus is a good work as a witness of generational trauma.

Originally posted by lordofthenumbers on February 03, 2026 21:37

Spiegelman’s use of the comic form does effectively convey the weight of the Holocaust, as there were multiple moments that truly made me pause and think about the absolute horror that people felt in the face of the Holocaust. Even with the anthropomorphic depictions of people, Spiegelman was able to, in some ways, show how horrific the Holocaust was. For example, on page 32 of Maus I, the birth of Richieu is depicted, and the reader is sent out of the past and into the present, as that is something that is almost overly personal. Richieu’s death was something that was too “real”, and so, Artie avoided depicting it with detail. In the complete collection of Maus, Artie avoids talking too much about the parts of his life that were impacted by the Holocaust present day, excluding his old comic. In this way he is able to connect the too-horrific past to his present, to the real life of a real person. This is also shown through the actions of Vladek, of him when he destroyed the diaries of Anja, despite the important role in history they seemed to play.

Spiegelman does a fantastic job of using the format in order to connect the past to the present, and, according to Chute’s analysis of the novel, does it through the usage of gutters. The present is blocked off from the lines that block off each panel, from the “story” of the past. Additionally, he used panels of Vladek standing in front of his depiction of the past to show how even still the trauma he experienced is still active in his life. The emotions are strong and real, even if it seems to be so far off in the past.

The argument against the suggestion of the “unseriousness” of the graphic novel lies in Artie himself. In his own-self doubt in creation, he solves the argument of if it is serious enough. To think about it, like he does on page 176, acknowledges this question, and answers it. To create art and doubt it, but to continue to create it shows how it was thought about and in some way forced to be “serious enough”.

I thought you made a really good point in saying that Spiegelman avoids showing anything too real in the past in order to get his message across. I think it's a very interesting idea that, by showing the events of the Holocaust in a less-real way but making the present feel very, very real, Spiegelman is able to show the impact of the Holocaust through Vladek and Anja's trauma rather than trying to make the reader comprehend the horror what actually happened themself, when Vladek and Anja barely could.

I agree that present Vladek standing in front of panels of his past show how they haunt him, and I think the idea of using gutters to separate the past and the present is very interesting. However, I wish you had used some examples there, because I'm not exactly clear on what you mean.

Finally, I never would have thought of Artie's own self-doubt being the thing that makes Maus "serious enough", but I am inclined to agree. I think that the amount of time, thought, and care he put into the comics do make them serious enough, in this case. However, I think effort is not always a qualifier for this, as people are perfectly capable of putting time, thought, and effort into things and still making them insensitive or shallow.

Originally posted by anonymous on February 02, 2026 10:33

In anonymous’s post, I believe that the most compelling point that is made is the idea that through the more simplistic drawings of Maus, Spiegelman is able to portray the Holocaust without getting lost in the crowd. I agree with this, I think that he does an amazing job of truly highlighting how many different individuals were murdered. It takes away everything unnecessary from the image, and similar to my argument, it is able to humanize the victims of the Holocaust. It does, however, contrast to my argument that says that the lack of detail keeps a slight disconnect between Spiegelman and the actual events of the Holocaust.

I agree with the poster heavily regarding the method of transition between the past and present, in how Spiegelman makes the transition incredibly smoothly. There is the comparison of the past and the present, but even with that gap, the two are incredibly interconnected through Spiegelman’s creation. The argument against the “unseriousness” is incredibly similar to my own, in regards to the way it refers to the way the comic form is approached. This is from, however, the opposite side of the story, of how the reader will choose to interpret it instead of how Spiegelman puts care into his work.

Originally posted by BuzzBrdy on February 03, 2026 21:15

Spiegelman's use of the comic style in the novel Maus is very good at showcasing the emotional and historical weight of the holocaust. This is because the format of the book allows for the themes of memory and trauma to be shown on the same page. He uses the comic form to make the holocaust more personal and unsettling for whoever reads it. The comic book form of Maus allows the story to switch between telling a story in the past and the present. Vladek’s story is a mix of scenes from Nazi controlled Europe with current conversations between father and son. This demonstrates the idea that the holocaust is not just an event that happened in the past and affects lives to the present day as seen by Vladek’s behavior and identity. In Maus II readers can see his fear and trauma which was a result of the war which shows how there are lingering effects even after a horrific event such as the holocaust ends. The transitions between timelines show the connection clearly which could be missed if it was in a typical novel form. The comic style of Maus also does a good job of showing symbolism, especially when it comes to demonstrating emotional impact. In Maus, Jews are mice, Germans are cats, and Poles are pigs which deepens the narrative. The use of animal imagery shows the racial categories but also shows dehumanization in relation to the holocaust. Maus uses the visual form to show history as fragmented with mirrors the way trauma can affect the mind, contrary to a clean account. Maus is often criticized for using comics to portray the Holocaust because it is seen as unserious and immature. However, the use of black and white art and the focus on ordinary suffering challenges the critique because it showcases the novel in a somber tone. Vladek's recounting of daily fear and loss in Miss 1 shows that graphic imagery is not needed in order to showcase horror. Spiegelman's use of the comic form for maus does not lessen the gravity of the holocaust. He strengthens it by combining visual storytelling with historical recollection and it shows that graphic novels are able to tell serious issues.

I find the idea my peer wrote about the comic form being used to make the situation more unsettling very interesting. Unsettling was definitely a word that comes to my mind when looking at the visual depictions of this novel - especially the scene where the mice are screaming as they’re being lit on fire. However I don’t think that's intentional with the comic form as any depiction would be equally as horrifying. I also never considered how the black and white was intentional to make the novel more somber but that makes so much sense. I 100% agree that Spiegelman’s use of the comic form for Maus does prove that graphic novels are able to tell serious issues and do so well. I have similar views to my peer and they did address things I had not considered.