Post War

Through dialogue we learn a lot about Vladek. How did he get to America? What did he do in the USA after the war? Where did he live?

More importantly, how did he handle the trauma of WWII? Did he talk about his experiences or did he keep everything inside?

Explain your feelings after reading the stories.

Emotional Expression

Maus is filled with emotions. Art Spiegelman is frustrated at his father for not keeping his mother's journals and other personal items. Vladek is saddened when he remembers his family.

What literary and artistic techniques does Art Speigelman use to get these emotions across to the readers?

Authenticity

The creation of Maus appeared to be a struggle for Speigelman. He had to constantly encourage his father to discuss his story. Do you trust his father's memory? Do you believe that the story is authentic? Share your opinion with concrete examples from the atory.

Voice of Second Generation

How does the voice of Maus, written in the voice of a second generation differ from that of a survivor? Do you find one to be more authentic than the other? Do you find one to be more emotional than the other? Explain.

Visual Representations

The author chose to represent cultural groups as animal figures. What animals were chosen? Does the use of stereotypical images that display WWII era prejudice enhance or detract from his father's story?

Maus I ... Family Dynamics

In his process to record his father's story of his experiences in WWII and in Auschwitz, in what ways does the author show compassion toward his aging father? In what ways does he demonstrate frustration? How has the Holocaust and its aftereffects shaped this relationship?

Maus, A Survivor's Tale. Part 1: My Father Bleeds History

Art Spiegelman was born in Sweeden and immigrated to the USA when he was young. His parents are both Holocaust survivors and, after his mother's death, he was compelled to tell their story. To read more about the author Art Spiegelman go to http://lambiek.net/artists/s/spiegelman.htm.

As you begin to read Maus, what are your first impressions? Have you ever read a GRAPHIC NOVEL? What do you think about the genre? Have you read any other graphic novels? Is this genre appropriate for conveying history?

Welcome!

Welcome to Cross Country Connections!

This space is dedicated to blogging about books that are related to our classroom curriculum. Your responses are public, so be aware that the words you use MUST be appropriate for anyone's eyes.

Our first book with be a GRAPHIC NOVEL. We'll read and discuss Maus by Art Spiegelman.

Your FIRST steps are to become a follower of the blog, bookmark the site, and locate a copy of the book.

Look for details about blogging about this title to come!