Our unit of Maus has come to an end now, and I feel sad. One reason is because I simply enjoy reading comics. More importantly, however, is that reading Maus has taught more skills than most word-heavy books. One of these skills is being able to notice details and be more observant.
I believe that the amount of subtle details that Spiegelman was able to put into Maus was only because of its picture-word format. If an author is trying to hide something a comic book, it can be drawn on the page but not explicitly mentioned to the reader. This effect is impossible with words as the author must explicitly mention through words that the detail exists. For example, look at these panels:
The only way to show a road shaped like a swastika in an implicit way would be by drawing it or showing a picture of it. Using words to describe something like this would be nonsense: "We walked in the direction of Sosnowiec (by the way the road was shaped like a swastika)." It simply does not work.
Maus has taught me, from passages like the one above, that there is more to my surroundings than what meets the eye. Ever since I finished reading Maus, I have tried to make out the details, whether it be places, people, or just other books. I even tried to do this type of close interpreting with music and I heard parts of songs that I had never noticed before.
RANDOM CAR-RELATED TRIVIA QUESTION:
What car brand from the USA was used the most in WWII?
Leave your answer in the comments along with your thoughts!
I believe that the amount of subtle details that Spiegelman was able to put into Maus was only because of its picture-word format. If an author is trying to hide something a comic book, it can be drawn on the page but not explicitly mentioned to the reader. This effect is impossible with words as the author must explicitly mention through words that the detail exists. For example, look at these panels:
The only way to show a road shaped like a swastika in an implicit way would be by drawing it or showing a picture of it. Using words to describe something like this would be nonsense: "We walked in the direction of Sosnowiec (by the way the road was shaped like a swastika)." It simply does not work.
Maus has taught me, from passages like the one above, that there is more to my surroundings than what meets the eye. Ever since I finished reading Maus, I have tried to make out the details, whether it be places, people, or just other books. I even tried to do this type of close interpreting with music and I heard parts of songs that I had never noticed before.
RANDOM CAR-RELATED TRIVIA QUESTION:
What car brand from the USA was used the most in WWII?
Leave your answer in the comments along with your thoughts!
Come back next week for the answer to this week's car-related trivia question!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you how Maus showed many implicit details through the pictures. I think reading is just as important as observing. Reading can give you many information with words but observing details also gives you many information even without words. We should also observe better in real life to understand that small things and details are important.
ReplyDeleteAbout the question I think its Volkswagen cause... Volkswagen.
I also am sad about our unit of Maus ending because I learned so much from it not only in literature but also the real world just like you. I agree that the details fit better only in a comic book. There is not much details you pick out in a book only with words because there is no visual effect that helps make you understand the passage better. I liked how it helped you with contrasted literature to a completely different subject of songs. Jeep
ReplyDeleteMaus has really shown my how comic books can be informative and more than just cartoons. There are so many situations within Maus where without the visual representation, I wouldn't have been able to grasp the full meaning of the text. I completely agree with your post. I think Chevy could be the most used car brand during WWII.
ReplyDeleteSame Sameep... Sadly the Maus unit is over and the two weeks of enjoyment are over. I love how you conveyed your message about how there is no way Art could display his pictures with words. This is exactly why Maus was such a meaningful book dedicated to the Holocaust survivors and most importantly, his father. You chose an extremely great example and your point was extremely easy to understand. Well done! Also the most used car brand during WWII is the Ferrari.
ReplyDelete