"Maus is very much about the inability of art (or Art) to confront fully or represent metaphorically a monstrous past..."
~"The Shoah Goes On and On: Remembrance and Representation in Art Spiegelman's Maus" by Michael Staub
Even though the art in Maus may not be able to fully confront this "monstrous past," I think it is effective in its simplicity. The artwork is relatively simple but powerful. This simplicity of some of the more disturbing scenes actually helps to make it that much more disturbing. It forces the reader to confront the situation and invites the mind to fill in the details. It is much harder to ignore this way. The conflict between the simplicity of the drawings and the complexity of the situation cause it to almost seem even worse in this understatement than if it had been in full gory detail.
Comments (2)
Staib stated about the possibilty for simplicity due to the oral tradition that we see in Maus that Vladek is used to. A pile of bodies will give a much more horrible message than blood will ever give.
Posted by Kevin "Kelo The Great" Hinton | November 13, 2007 12:12 PM
Posted on November 13, 2007 12:12
Th fact that there are simple sketches of burning and rotting bodies makes it much more horrifying for me than a description in a book would. The image is there right on the page for you. While description in books may evoke different images in people's minds, a drawing gets across the same message to all.
Posted by Daniella Choynowski | November 13, 2007 12:38 PM
Posted on November 13, 2007 12:38