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Maus (1980–1991)

Author: Art Spiegelman
Type: Graphic novel · Memoir / Holocaust narrative
FPS Group: Group 2 — FPS Choice/Dev
Era/Period: WH Era 4 — Holocaust; Contemporary framing
ELA Standards: 9-10.R.8 · 9-10.R.9
WH Standards: WH.6_12.4 · WH.6_12.3
Copyright: Copyrighted — excerpt only

What This Text Is About

Maus is a groundbreaking graphic novel that tells the story of Art Spiegelman's father, Vladek, and his experiences during World War II as a Jewish man in Poland. Written and illustrated by Art Spiegelman over more than a decade, Maus was published serially starting in 1980 before being collected into two volumes (1986, 1991). The book explores the trauma and resilience of Holocaust survivors through both historical events and their impact on family relationships. Through powerful imagery and storytelling, Spiegelman helps readers understand the horrors faced by his father and other Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Art Spiegelman decided to tell this story as a graphic novel because he wanted to reach a wider audience with the difficult truth of his father's experiences. By using animals—mice for Jews, cats for Nazis, pigs for Poles, dogs for Americans—he creates a visual metaphor that makes the complex and often unbearable history more accessible while still maintaining its emotional weight.

Read It

Copyrighted — excerpt only.

The opening pages of Volume I set up the framing narrative: Art visits his father Vladek in Queens to discuss his past. The visuals show Vladek's frailty and the tension between father and son, hinting at unresolved issues from the Holocaust era. A visual metaphor is introduced early on—Jews as mice, Nazis as cats, Poles as pigs—which serves as a backdrop for understanding the human drama unfolding in the story. Full text available in most school libraries; this graphic novel requires readers to engage with both text and images.

Why This Text Matters

Maus is significant not only because of its powerful storytelling but also because it brings the Holocaust into the realm of contemporary literature and visual arts. As a work that interweaves personal history and family dynamics, Maus provides insight into how survivors grapple with trauma across generations. It challenges readers to consider themes of identity, survival, guilt, and memory, making it essential for understanding both historical events and their lasting impact on individuals and societies.

For students today, reading Maus offers a unique way to engage with the Holocaust's legacy and understand why bearing witness remains crucial. The graphic novel format invites critical thinking about representation and how we visualize difficult histories. By exploring this text in depth, students can gain deeper empathy for those who lived through such tragedies and reflect on their own roles as global citizens.

ELA Standards Connection

Standard Connection
9-10.R.8 Analyzing the ways in which characters’ interactions shape the meaning of a text, focusing on Vladek’s relationships with Art and his wife Anja.
9-10.R.9 Investigating how the historical context influences the themes and tone of Maus, particularly in relation to the Holocaust and its aftermath.
9-10.W.4 Writing an argumentative essay about the importance of visual storytelling as a tool for addressing difficult topics like the Holocaust.

Social Studies Connection

Maus provides rich opportunities for connecting with social studies standards, especially those focused on understanding the historical context of World War II and the Holocaust. The graphic novel explores key events such as the rise of Nazi Germany, the implementation of the Nuremberg Laws, the ghettos in Poland, and concentration camps like Auschwitz. It also delves into post-war life for survivors, helping students grasp both immediate and long-term impacts of genocide on individuals and communities.

Key Vocabulary

  1. Holocaust — A term used to describe the systematic persecution and mass murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during World War II.
  2. Ghettos — Segregated areas where Jewish people were forcibly confined, often leading to starvation, disease, and death.
  3. Nazi — Short for National Socialist German Workers’ Party; a political party in Germany that rose to power under Adolf Hitler and carried out the Holocaust.
  4. Survivor — A person who has lived through or managed to survive an extremely difficult situation, often used in reference to those who endured the Holocaust.
  5. Genocide — The deliberate killing of a large group of people (often those of a particular ethnicity or religion) with the intent to destroy that entire group.

Studio Ideas

  1. Write an argumentative essay discussing how Art Spiegelman uses visual metaphors in Maus to convey the complexity of his father's experiences during and after the Holocaust.
  2. Create a historical timeline detailing key events from Vladek’s life as presented in Maus, including dates, places, and significant encounters with other characters.
  3. Craft a personal reflection on how reading Maus affects your understanding of current global issues related to human rights violations and discrimination.

Pairs With

Why This Is Relevant Today?

In today’s world, where issues of identity, human rights, and the importance of historical memory are more pressing than ever, Maus remains a powerful tool for education. Its exploration of how historical trauma shapes personal and communal identities is particularly relevant as we witness ongoing struggles with racism, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism globally. By reading Maus, students can connect the past to present-day concerns about social justice and learn why understanding and remembering history are crucial steps toward building a better future.

ELA Reading Library · SDA Commons · South High School

Note: Spiegelman interviewed his father Vladek, an Auschwitz survivor, and drew the story as a graphic novel in which Jews are mice, Nazis are cats, Poles are pigs, and Americans are dogs. Published serially in Raw magazine starting 1980; collected in two volumes (1986, 1991). Won the Pulitzer Prize in 1992—the first graphic novel to win. A school district in Tennessee banned it in 2022, citing nudity and profanity. The banning sparked enormous controversy and increased sales dramatically.