Although there are many qualities about Vladek that are condemned in
Maus, the graphic novel is ultimately an empathetic telling of his life. Discuss.
Maus is not about experiencing the Holocaust, but surviving it’s impact. Discuss.
Maus is as much Art’s story as it is Vladek’s. Discuss.
Spiegelman’s use of evocative imagery in
Maus goes beyond characterisation. Discuss.
How does Spiegelman show us the horror of the Holocaust and it’s impact on the people who survived it in
Maus?There are very few similarities between the characters in
Maus. Discuss.
Guilt is the single strongest emotion Art Spiegelman feels in
Maus. Do you agree?
“I tried to be fair and still show how angry I was.”
How and why does Spiegelman do this in
Maus?How effective is Spiegelman’s portrayal of people of different races and nationalities as different animals?
The story of
Maus could only have been told as a graphic novel. Do you agree?
To what extent are Vladek’s personality traits a pitiable product of his experiences during the Holocaust?
"Life always takes the side of life, and somehow the victims are blamed. But it wasn't the BEST people who survived, nor did the best ones die. It was RANDOM"
How is this view reflected in both the action and themes of
Maus?"About Auschwitz, nobody can understand."
Maus is more a story of a son trying to understand his father, than it is a Holocaust story. Discuss.
"Maybe they need a newer, bigger Holocaust."
To what extent can Maus be seen as responding to this suggestion?
"Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness."
It is as difficult for the audience to know the truth as it is for Artie. Do you agree?
Art tells his father: "I want to tell your story, the way it really happened."
Is
The Complete Maus more than Vladek’s story?
The Complete Maus shows us that unimaginable suffering doesn’t make a person better; it just makes them suffer. Do you agree?
Although the reader finds the older Vladek a difficult and frustrating character, the younger Vladek is an admirable and courageous man. Do you agree?
Maus shows that surviving is sometimes worse than dying. Discuss.
People do incredible things during war. How is this shown during
Maus?How does
Maus invite the reader to see the flaws as well as the strengths of its main characters?
Through
Maus, Art Spiegelman shows us that the demons of the Holocaust will haunt us forever. Discuss.
“Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness.”
It is in the “silences” of
Maus that the most poignant messages are delivered. To what extent do you agree?
How does Spiegelman invite the reader to question the validity of memory and perception?
The real “survivor’s tale” is Artie’s. Do you agree?
How does Spiegelman use visual cues in
Maus to alert us to the plight of his characters?
Despite the sadness depicted in
Maus, it is ultimately a story of hope. Discuss.
Maus would not be so powerful if it were a conventional novel. Do you agree?
"There’s so much I’ll never be able to understand or visualise. I mean reality is too complex for comics...so much has to be left out or distorted."
How successful is Art Spiegelman at conveying the reality of Vladek’s experiences?
"More I don’t need to tell you. We were both very happy, and lived happy, happy ever after."
Is the reader convinced of the truth of Vladek’s words?
Art Spiegelman successfully achieves a balance between being the author of
The Complete Maus and a character within it. To what extent do you agree?
What effect does the use of animals in
The Complete Maus have on the story?
How does Art Spiegelman juxtapose past and present in
The Complete Maus?Both Vladek and Art are haunted by the Holocaust but in different ways. Discuss.
How does
The Complete Maus show that the victims of the Holocaust were not just those sent to concentration camps?
Art Spiegelman refuses to sentimentalise or sanctify his father. Do you agree?
"I went out to see my Father in Rego Park. I hadn’t seen him in a long time—we weren’t that close."
Art’s troubled relationship with his father enhances rather than detracts from
The Complete Maus. Do you agree?
The tragedy of the Holocaust brought out the best and worst of people. Discuss how is this shown in
The Complete Maus?"Whenever someone is hungry he looks for business."
The Complete Maus shows that those who actively pursued survival were more likely to endure the Holocaust and survive.’ To what extent do you agree?
"At that time it wasn’t anymore families. It was everybody to take care for himself."
How is the notion of families explored in
The Complete Maus?Mala says that Vladek is more attached to objects than he is to people. Is this a fair assessment of Vladek?
Spiegelman’s decision to depict different races as different kinds of animals is confronting. Do you agree?
Engage
Maus portrays how a lack of shared experience can strain relationships between people. Discuss.
The movement between the past and present throughout
Maus shows how knowing the story of his family influences the narrator’s understanding of himself.’ Discuss.
In learning and re-telling Vladek’s story, the narrator alters his relationship with his father. Discuss.
How does Spigelman use animal representations of humans as a commentary on race?
What is the significance of the non-linear structure of the text?
The Complete Maus displays the full range of human responses to crisis: sadism and cowardice all the way to heroism and moral strength. Discuss.
Although the content of the novel is bleak,
Maus is ultimately uplifting. Do you agree?
In Maus, the horrors of the Holocaust are conveyed to the reader through frequent and explicit depictions of death. Discuss.
The relationship between the representations of Spiegelman and his father shows that to understand a person's experiences is not the same as understanding them as a person. Discuss.
The characters of
The Complete Maus don't just wear masks to hide their identity, but at times, to reinforce it. Discuss.
VATE
2015:
i. How does
The Complete Maus explore Vladek and Art's changing relationship?
OR
ii. While Spiegelman presents the characters as animals, it is their humanity which is most apparent.
ATAR Notes 2015 exams
Exam 1:
i. “You should know it’s impossible to argue with your father.”
Vladek’s stubbornness is actually a coping mechanism, even if it strains his relationships with others. Discuss.
OR
ii.
The Complete Maus reveals the fragility of both individuals and their connections to one another. Do you agree?
Exam 2:
i. Discuss the significance of perspective in Spiegelman’s
The Complete Maus.OR
ii. Spiegelman’s graphic novel shows how dehumanisation can occur in many forms. Discuss.
Exam 3:
i. “No, darling! To die it's easy... But you have to struggle for life!”
The most significant war the characters in
The Complete Maus face is the one that is inside themselves. Discuss.
OR
ii. To what extent does the graphic format of
The Complete Maus inform our interpretation of the characters and their actions? Discuss.
Exam 4:
i. Artie and Vladek’s relationship is more detrimental than either of them realise. Do you agree?
OR
ii. It is Spiegelman’s use of the graphic novel format that makes
The Complete Maus such a harrowing tale. Discuss.
ATAR Notes 2016 exams
Mid-year:
i. Spiegelman's graphic novel highlights the horrors of the holocaust in many ways. Discuss.
OR
ii The characters in The Complete Maus are irrevocably changed by the war. Do you agree?
Exam 1:
i. How does
The Complete Maus convey the moral quandaries of storytelling?
OR
ii. Anya’s death affects Vladek and Artie more profoundly than the holocaust. To what extent do you agree?
Exam 2:
i. Vladek and Artie’s struggle to communicate is exacerbated by Artie’s desire to record his father’s story. Discuss.
OR
ii. What the characters in
The Complete Maus find so harrowing is not violence or death, but the depths of human depravity. Do you agree?
Exam 3:
i.
The Complete Maus is about disillusionment. Do you agree?
OR
ii. Vladek and Art are united by their experiences, but divided by the irrevocable differences between them. Do you agree?
Exam 4:
i. “You murdered me, Mommy, and you left me here to take the rap!”
Why does Artie blame himself for his mother’s death in
The Complete Maus? OR
ii. Visual language is just as important as written language in
The Complete Maus. Do you agree?
VCAA
2014:
i. Spiegelman's use of the graphic novel offers deep insight into the horror of what Vladek and others suffered. Discuss.
OR
ii. For the character Art, creating this text is his way of understanding his father's experience. Discuss.
2015:
i. In what ways does the visual imagery contribute to the impact of
The Complete Maus?Or
ii.
The Complete Maus explores the ongoing legacy of the war years for Art's family. Discuss.
2016:
i. How effective is Spiegelman’s use of the graphic novel in conveying the complexity of Vladek’s story?
OR
ii. The people depicted in
The Complete Maus needed more than inner strength to survive. Discuss.