Why do you think Spiegelman chose to make the jewish people mice in the book? Do you think that there were specific reasons or connections between the people and the type of animal their character was portrayed as in the book?
Mice are always hiding during the day, like the Jews did in World War II. The Jews could not expose themselves in the daytime because they would be persecuted if caught. They had to hide themselves well from Hilter's sight.
And if you notice/read far enough, the nazis/germans are cats, the animals who hunt and eat the mice or rats. portraying the relationship between the two animals/prey and predator relationship.
I agree with Catherine and Lanlan in that there is definitely a predator/prey relationship going on in Maus. I also thought at one point, when the story was illustrating Jews swarming close together in the ghetto, that it was almost like mice and rats swarming and running around in sewers. I also think the idea of dehumanization relates to this. In the holocaust, Jews were seen as inhuman and no better than animals. The choice to use animals to illustrate the holocaust is an interesting way of reminding readers of how Jews were ACTUALLY seen during Hitler's dictatorship -- vermin-like.
I think that he made the Jews mice for reasons stated above. The Jew hid during WWII and mice generally hide and the Jews were hunted by the Nazis (cats) like cats hunt mice. There were definitely connections between the people and the animals. So the Nazis are cats because they are the hunters and hunt for the mice. The Polish are pigs because the Polish are usually associated with being greedy/lazy.
When you think of mice, the first thing that comes to mind is that they are dirty scavengers, which is what the jews were forced to become to feed themselves. They are also really hard to catch (as we know here a school). however, mice do not bring all bad connotations. They are also considered to be secretive and stealthy, like the jews in hiding, and conniving, like the common stereotype about jews and money.
Mice are always hiding during the day, like the Jews did in World War II. The Jews could not expose themselves in the daytime because they would be persecuted if caught. They had to hide themselves well from Hilter's sight.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you notice/read far enough, the nazis/germans are cats, the animals who hunt and eat the mice or rats. portraying the relationship between the two animals/prey and predator relationship.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Catherine and Lanlan in that there is definitely a predator/prey relationship going on in Maus. I also thought at one point, when the story was illustrating Jews swarming close together in the ghetto, that it was almost like mice and rats swarming and running around in sewers. I also think the idea of dehumanization relates to this. In the holocaust, Jews were seen as inhuman and no better than animals. The choice to use animals to illustrate the holocaust is an interesting way of reminding readers of how Jews were ACTUALLY seen during Hitler's dictatorship -- vermin-like.
ReplyDeleteI think that he made the Jews mice for reasons stated above. The Jew hid during WWII and mice generally hide and the Jews were hunted by the Nazis (cats) like cats hunt mice. There were definitely connections between the people and the animals. So the Nazis are cats because they are the hunters and hunt for the mice. The Polish are pigs because the Polish are usually associated with being greedy/lazy.
ReplyDeleteWhen you think of mice, the first thing that comes to mind is that they are dirty scavengers, which is what the jews were forced to become to feed themselves. They are also really hard to catch (as we know here a school). however, mice do not bring all bad connotations. They are also considered to be secretive and stealthy, like the jews in hiding, and conniving, like the common stereotype about jews and money.
ReplyDelete