Honors Composition

Study Questions for Spiegelman's Maus, General Questions

1. In general, how does Art portray his father? Do you think this is a fair representation? Why do you think he portrays him in the way he does?

2. To what extent do you think Art accurately represents his father's story?
   Do you think he has embellished it any way? What might have been added or left out?

3. How does Art portray himself? Why does he include himself in his father's story of the Holocaust?

4. What is the importance, throughout the text, of Art's reflections on the process of putting together this book?

5. What is the relationship between history and the present in the book? Why are many episodes from the present included?

6. To what extent are the characters caught in the past?
   Are all Holocaust survivors and their children prisoners of history?

7. What are some of the features that characterize Spiegelman's graphic style?
   How do these contribute to his memoir? How do they shape our understanding of his father's story?

8. In general, how is the Holocaust represented in Spiegelman's text?

9. How does the comic book format affect this representation?