Maus & White

When I initially started reading Maus, my first thought was, "why is this author using animals in his story rather than people?" My mind ran through all of the obvious cat and mouse stereotypes, but I knew there had to be something deeper.

"Historians do not have to report their truths about the real world in narrative form." This sentence taken directly out of White's article struck me as one that fit Spiegelman's tale perfectly. While he is writing about the Holocaust in narrative form, it is completely different from the majority of other Holocaust stories that are written as novels. It stays true to the narrative form, but it broadens the readers mind as to what can be considered a narrative form.

After considering the way Spiegelman chose to portray his story, the question again arises, "Why cats, mice, and pigs?" The idea that struck me as most relevant was that it defamiliarizes the familiar. I noticed right away that I was paying more attention to what these "mice" are saying than I would if it was just a man speaking about his story. As sad as that is, our country and culture as a whole are completely desensitized to Holocaust stories. We have grown up listening to stories, but very few strike a chord like Maus does. I truly believe that the usage of animals in the story rather than humans makes the readers step back, and pay more attention to what the characters are saying, because it feels almost like they are telling a new, or different story.

Faces in Comics

The differences in realistic faces and cartoonish faces in comics are vast, although most if not all variations are still recognized and accepted in comics. With a realistic face more detail is shown, hair, wrinkle lines, lips, eyebrows, etc. Where in a more cartoonish face just the basics are drawn such as the eyes, nose, and mouth. The effect of a more realistic face makes the reader feel like this particular comic is more "grown up" and they need to take it more seriously. Where a cartoonish face would tell the reader this is not to be taken as seriously, and may remind them of the shows they used to, or still, watch on Saturday mornings. The significance of the differences is great, but it all boils back down to the same thing, people recognize faces, whether they choose to admit it or not, the human brain sees faces in everything, and whether the face is drawn in the greatest detail imaginable or it was drawn simply in two seconds, the human brain recognizes it as essentially the same thing. Even though the brain may recognize it as the same thing, the brain also realizes the differences mentioned above in seriousness of comics, and the content probably displayed in each.

What is the significance of more detailed faces in comics?
-The more detailed the face the more seriously a reader will take the context.
What is the significance of the simple faces in comics?
-The reader associates the more simple faces with lighter content, and maybe not read it as seriously.

The Spectacle of the Media

The spectacle cannot be abstractly contrasted to concrete social activity. Each side of such a duality is itself divided. The spectacle that falsifies reality is nevertheless a real product of that reality. Conversely, real life is materially invaded by the contemplation of the spectacle, and ends up absorbing it and aligning itself with it. Objective reality is present on both sides. Each of these seemingly fixed concepts has no other basis than its transformation into its opposite: reality emerges within the spectacle, and the spectacle is real. This reciprocal alienation is the essence and support of the existing society.

The media's take on war is a perfect example for this aphorism. The statement says that "real life is materially invaded by the contemplation of the spectacle, and ends up absorbing it and aligning itself with it." The media displays a perfect example of this every single day. The news will very rarely replay to the public exactly what is going on overseas each day. Rather, they put their spin on it, and relay only the message they deem necessary. What the media relays as the spectacle becomes the reality in the situation because it is what is relayed to the public and what the public sees, therefore what the public deems the truth or "real situation."