Maus and Masks

When considering Art Spiegelman's Maus in the light of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, something that struck me was how there is a parallel of how each treats the idea of wearing a mask.

The Use of Masks:

Maus explores the theme of wearing masks in how Spiegelman's father acted in the face of persecution. In chapter six, Vladek and Anja have an opportunity to escape the ghetto and pretend to be Polish. Their act of hiding their identity is shown by them wearing a mask over their face. While trying to hide their identity is simply a way to keep safe for Vladek and Anja, it reminds us that their is a wider world around them; they are alone, but they aren't the only ones who are scared - many of their friends are going through the same thing.

This wearing of masks corresponds to McCloud's idea of why we identify with cartoons. According to McCloud, part of the reason we identify with simplified drawings is that we have to perceive our own faces - for example, most of the time, the only indication that we have that we are smiling is that we feel our smile, we don't see ourselves smiling. That our input is limited to the muscles we feel when smiling gives us a simplified mental image of ourselves; thus, we identify with simplified images of human faces.

Closure:

Another thing that I found interesting about Maus is how Spiegelman uses closure. As McCloud notes, the gutters (the lines in between each panel) enable the reader's imagination to "fill in" the gaps between frames in a process known as closure. Spiegelman uses the gutters to help tell the story. For the most part, the gutters are uniform from one panel to another; however, when Spiegelman wants to communicate the intensity of a moment, the panels will be slanted, or have uneven gutters. This use of gutters highlights important moments and draws the eye to these moments.

While the use of gutters and closure might seem subtle, Spiegelman is telling a story that requires subtlety. The memories that he is relating are very difficult to process, and even something simple the way the gutters are used can make a difference to the reader. Playing with format enables the writer to immediately communicate details about a scene; and adds depth for a second reading. Maus is a graphic novel that requires several readings to fully comprehend; it keeps communicating something new each time you pick it up.

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