Holocaust in “Maus” Graphic Novel by Art Spiegelman Essay Sample

In the graphic novels, MAUS I and II, written by Art Spiegelman, it explores Spiegelman’s process of making MAUS through the recounting of Vladek’s personal experience of surviving the Holocaust. Spiegelman illustrates the characters in the novel as animals such as cats and mice to represent the Nazis and Jews. Both graphic novels span throughout the Second World war where we receive insight into the conditions that Jewish people were placed in and the discriminatory nature of others’ actions. Spiegelman depicts the harsh discrimination that Jewish people underwent in daily life and the concentration camps. Although hospitality and empathy were shown to Jewish people, MAUS argues that human nature can be violent, helpless, and malleable in certain social situations of dominance over others and authoritative power. This research has important implications for the broader domain of the field of psychological studies on human behaviors. In the wider scope, MAUS allows us to examine humans’ susceptibility to harmful human nature in social situations and the inability for people to regress to innate actions of violence and deception. 

In MAUS, the use of ideology during World War II shapes what is experienced and influences the actions that can create divisions in people and make them/allow them to act in violent ways. During the Holocaust, the Nazis used the Aryan ideology which was extremely pervasive throughout all of Europe. The ideology reached not only its soldiers but parents and kids as well. Their propaganda such as “Be careful! A Jew will catch you in a bag and eat you!” and “Help” is the product of ideological influence which affects the actions and contributes to the discrimination of Jewish people (Spiegelman MAUS I, 149). The proclamation of “Be[ing] careful!” suggests the fragility and violence of human nature when influenced by ideology and the reach of Nazism. The symbolism of this ideology reflects the way people are raised, the people we are exposed to, and the things that are taught significantly contributed to how the Nazis perpetuated their ideology which shapes the actions in the social setting surrounding it. While marching in the concentration camps, Vladek spoke to a prison guard who had “even a little heart” but later became violent (Spiegelman MAUS II, 54). This interaction that Vladek had contends with the idea that in certain social settings, people conform to the ideology that people are conditioned to follow. Therefore, the innate actions of violence that Nazis guards took was due to the ideology and social circumstances that they faced. Although the guard is socializing in a non-hostile manner saying “Guten Morgen” suggesting a human aspect, the sudden juxtaposition of panels asserts that violent actions stem from ideological influence and conditions people’s actions to reflect the Nazi (Spiegelman 54). Through Vladek’s story, the Nazis guards and Kapo subjected Jews to belittling terms such as being “worthless” (Spiegelman MAUS I, 56). This labeling suggests and further assert that the Nazi’s actions are justified because of their natural superiority. This Nazis expansion was centered around the ideology of superiority, which was used to excuse the amount of destruction they caused to Jewish citizens. During this mass extermination, true human nature is shown through acting on the Nazi ideology as a means of gaining power. Vladek is trapped in the roads with “nowhere” to go (Spiegelman). It symbolizes how Nazism allows for the encapsulation of those who are outliers to the ideology. In these situations of dominance, the Nazis, Kapo, and others turn to actions of violence to perpetuate the ideas of the Nazis.  

Submission to a higher power influences the actions of Jews, Nazis, and Pols exemplifying the malleability of human nature. As Stephen Tabachnick’s analysis of MAUS indicates, the religious or authoritative figures are responsible for guiding people’s actions. Through the text, he observes that there is divine intervention or force that acts out which puts people like Vladek in a position of submissiveness to its power (Tabachnick 1). In the camps, the Pols are given preferential treatment, many “screaming and kicking” Jews despite being prisoners themselves (Spiegelman MAUS II, 33). Through these social settings of hierarchy, the pols continue to take advantage of the authority, thereby suggesting how submitting to a higher power or authority exposes the immoral and non-stagnant nature of humans. Unlike Vladek’s religious guided actions, the Jewish police were employed to enforce Nazism “to save themselves” (Spiegelman MAUS I, 87). The social circumstances the police were part of contributed to an instinctive reaction to perpetuate the Nazi ideals. Its portrayal suggests that people of the same faith can be as malicious as the Nazis when given a position of authority. The malleability of human nature is stems from association with power. When Vladek and extended family encountered a possible “informant” while hiding from the Gestapo. Despite not trusting a stranger, Vladek allowed for the man’s family to stay. This demonstrate how susceptible people are to external influences and therefore the malleability of human nature.  The argument made by Tabachnick agrees with MAUS through the essence of submitting to a higher power and warping one’s actions. Vladek’s beliefs govern his way of thinking and acting to conform which makes his actions. Historically, it is common to gain belief in a higher power, whether it be religious or authoritative. During times of crisis, often we associate with collectivism but through Vladek’s recounting, the opposite is taking place. This idea was examined by the American Psychological Association which remarked that “generally, in times of crisis, people have found faith as a coping mechanism” (Goodman). Much like in concentration camps, the hierarchy that squashes those deemed lesser turns to religion as a coping mechanism or a guide of actions. Vladek provides food for fellow prisoners despite being “beyond his hunger” (Tabachnick 6). In MAUS, Vladek is shown having an extraordinary of his grandfather predicting “Parsha Trauma” after weeks of intensive labor in the camps (Spiegelman 57). Although Vladek embraces his Judaism, this religious vision can be interpreted as a collective feeling of hope thereby asserting that human nature is malleable and is influenced by a higher power/authority. Vladek and other prisoners “prayed before work” and “read section[s] of the Torah” after hearing of Vladek’s divine interaction (Spiegelman 57). 

 In addition, Spiegelman’s MAUS establishes how power and authoritative differences both through concentration camps and police enforcement triggers helplessness. Spiegelman illustrates the Jewish people as mice and Nazis as cats. The cat and mouse relationship suggest not only a predatory but also a natural hierarchy. This analogy concedes how the actions of the Nazis actions were natural given the cat and mouse hierarchy that exists; it places the Jews as a powerless being that cannot overcome its predator (Nazis). Our actions are impelled through authority, which relates to how human nature’s inherent evilness stems from conformity. When the Jewish police came to evict Vladek and his family, they had to comply because of the authoritative difference between police. Even people of same faith can commit violence and harm given certain social circumstances. This suggests that those Jewish citizens are placed in situations of desperation where all they can do is go “away to Auschwitz” (Spiegelman 87). The authoritative power both in and out of the concentration camps essentially disadvantage the Jews and force their actions to be weak. When Jews were being sent to concentration camps, they left a riot downtown. Vladek said "…Everyone Yelling, "Jews Out! Jews out!"…even two people killed. The police just watched!" (Spiegelman 37). This illustrates how individuals are constantly impacted when a higher authority person has more power. The nature of the rioter’s actions takes on the mentality of the oppressive authority and the inability to help. This idea of helplessness is reinforced through Sarah Lui’s analysis of the series MAUS where she defines the main idea in the essay: Aphasia. Liu’s definition of aphasia is experienced sentiments of “an ability to think and feel without the words to speak” is useful for understanding social situations the Jews face (Liu 321). Vladek experiences a feeling of aphasia when he saw multiple Jews hung in town which rendered him mortified and speechless. Vladek was too “frightened to go outside” suggesting a sense of hopelessness that is triggered as a response to the power and authoritative differences between the Nazis and Jews (Spiegelman 84). Through the inability to “speak,” the social circumstances that Vladek feels further supports the idea of a Nazi dominated hierarchy which allows for injustice and violence to thrive. 

To conclude, MAUS focuses on the atrocities during the Holocaust and illustrates the radical actions that Jews, Pols, and Nazis exhibited. The positions of power that the Nazis put themselves in allowed for violence and discriminatory actions and the social circumstances they were put in. Human nature is also influenced by the ideological force that acts upon people, which subjects those to a certain form of hierarchy. Maus argues that the positions of the hierarchy are what influence human nature to be either evil or submissive. This paper examines how human nature is influenced; further psychological analysis can be done on the actual physical reactions in times of crisis. Through further analysis, this research can help understand how to avoid the skeptical and violent nature of humans in these social circumstances.