Postmodernism And Consumer Society

Hillary Chute’s essay “‘The Shadow of a Past Time’: History and Graphic Representation in Maus” addresses the praise and criticisms of Spiegelman’s choice to represent his father’s experiences in the Holocaust as a graphic novel. The author contrasts other critic’s views of the novel with her own, stating that “... Maus, far from betraying the past, engages this ethical dilemma through its form.” (Chute, 201) The ‘ethical dilemma’ in this case, being the potential trivialization of Vladek’s Auschwitz experience by showing it in pictures.

Maus, by Art Spiegelman, shows the trials and tribulations that the main character, Vladek, and his companions suffered during the Holocaust. No matter the situation, Vladek rises up to the challenge, and does the only thing he can do: live. For the Jewish people during that time surviving was a challenge and for those that actually survived was pure luck. Throughout Maus we find this survival in the portrayal of Vladek Spiegelman; father of the author. Vladek resourcefulness helps him survive because of his knowledge of different languages, skills to work on anything, and initiative to make trades with others allows him to survive the years that he was trap in the Holocaust.

Vladek is depicted as a hero who shows countless acts of selflessness and generosity and a villain who is, “opinionated, tight-fisted, and self-involved”. (Brown 6) Art Spiegelman’s book Maus, tells the story of how Vladek and Anja Spiegelman survived the Holocaust. Spiegelman illustrates Vladek as a man who single-handily saved his family from starvation and Auschwitz in World War I. During Spiegelman’s interviews, we get an idea of Vladek’s darker side since the war ended. Mala to speak of her astonishment and disgust in Vladek’s character. Which leaves us to question how truthfully these stories are being told. In the end, Vladek’s unsuccessful heroism is a constant reminder of his failure; survival with Anja was always easier, after her death, Vladek pushes everyone away with his “guilt and manipulation” (Brown 7)

In Art Spiegelman’s graphical novel Maus his demonstration of the Holocaust and its recollection in Maus was very emotional, affecting and the most expressing. The approach that the author has taken construes and magnifies the comical shape of telling history. It portrays Spiegelman dialog between himself and his father about his happenings as holocaust and polish jew survivor. Most of the narrative specifically focuses on Spiegelman 's difficult connection with his father, and the nonappearance of his mother who committed suicide when he was 20.In this essay I will be examining the experience of trauma and memory in Maus. Also I will be showing how the pain and trauma of the Holocaust affected Artie and Vladek 's diasporic memories. Trauma usually describes the association with chronological or combined traumatic proceedings to experiences that happen to others. These occasions are internalized circuitously through images, and stories and other recaps and reminders of their family’s occurrences. Spiegelman also investigates and addresses the load and legacy of distressing reminiscence on second-generation survivors. In the narrative Maus discovers and documents this behavior of dual memory. Throughout the story Art talks about the state of affairs in which his father’s reminiscences are expressed. The chronological and personal trauma produced by the Holocaust, and by simplifying the reintegration of the following generation to its past.

The term postmodernism has been defined in different ways over the past years but it still hasn’t had its official definition. Postmodernism is a daunting subject because of the disagreements between people of how they interrupt texts and art. Postmodernism is a critic of what we assume to be real or a fantasy of what we want to be real. Postmodernism raises an importance of identity. Postmodernism is a style and concept of the arts, architecture and the criticism that shows a break from modernism. Postmodernism highlights ideas and theories. It can include different artistic styles in art. For example, an artist can mix pop art with an icon image such as Marilyn Monroe, or make recycled garbage into new art. Watchmen

The term postmodernism is used a lot with the analysis of characters of The Nonexistent Knight and the story. Postmodernism is the acceptance that the world lacks true creativity, that reality is fragmented, and the belief that all communication is shaped by cultural bias, myth, metaphor, and political content. So basically, it is the realization of the world being biased and lack of true creativity. An example of this would be Gurduloo and how he is the opposite of what society wants him to be. He is seen as a postmodernist character due to his opposite reactions to what society has taught us to follow and be. A real life example of this is that humans aren’t creators in the eyes of Christians, only God can create. Humans can be influenced

Art Spiegelman, the author of the highly acclaimed graphic novel, Maus, portrays the characters in his book in a very distinctive and potent way. Spiegelman’s novel chronicles the life of his father, Vladek, who is a Holocaust survivor. He uses racial stereotypes to depict each character by his or her nationality; Jews as mice, Germans as cats, and Poles as pigs. This unique portrayal of the characters can be attributed to the positive reception that Maus received upon its release.

Maus is self-referential a number of times throughout each volume, with a variety of purposes. The narrative moves through several interpretive frameworks—Vladek’s perspective, and Artie’s perspective, both of his father and of his father’s story and how he’s choosing to tell it. Throughout these various levels of interpretation, questions are posed in innumerable ways. Vladek’s behavior when he talks about (or even uses) his experiences, Artie’s perspective of his father, and the symbolic representation of the animals, are all expressions of identity that come through as the result of the individual’s frame of interpretation. The text and its subjects are self-aware in a variety

A powerful and provocative graphic novel, Maus, generates a Jewish individual’s life of grotesque and horror. With its ability of perception and interpretation, it tackles the main points of the ominous Holocaust and delivers a spooky aura to the absorbed audience. In comparison to Schindler’s List, the graphic novel shines brightly than the pale movie due to its realism and humor that is constantly present throughout the storyline. The novel has the ability to connect to the audience; thus, it gives an in-depth look and overall comprehension of the massacre that Spiegelman is trying to communicate. The graphic novel, Maus by Art Spiegelman, brings an honest account of the Holocaust to a wide audience because of its historical truth and intriguing viewpoints and characters that shows the effect and process of the genocide.

The books Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman over a thirteen-year period from 1978-1991, are books that on the surface are written about the Holocaust. The books specifically relate to the author’s father’s experiences pre and post-war as well as his experiences in Auschwitz. The book also explores the author’s very complex relationship between himself and his father, and how the Holocaust further complicates this relationship. On a deeper level the book also dances around the idea of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. The two books are presented in a very interesting way; they are shown in comic form, which provides the ability for Spiegelman to incorporate numerous ideas and complexities to his work.

Postmodernism is a term which is highly contested in the sociological world, where it is used to indicate a significant detachment from modernism. It is easier to give the uses of the term; ‘to give a name to the present historical period, to name a specific style in arts and architecture and to name a point of rupture or disjuncture in epistemology’ (Buchanan, 2010). For this,

Post Modernism Perspective’s- "According to postmodern perspectives, existing theories have been unsuccessful in explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post industrialization, consumerism, and global communications (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29).”Postmodern theories are based on the assumption that the rapid social change that occurs as societies move from modern to postmodern (or postindustrial) conditions has a harmful effect on people. One evident change is the significant decline in the influence of social institutions such as the family, religion, and education on people’s lives. Those who live in postmodern societies typically pursue individual freedom and do not want the structural constraints that are imposed by social institutions (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29). "Postmodern (or “postindustrial”) societies are characterized by an information explosion and an economy in which large numbers of people either provide or apply information, or they are employed in professional occupations (such as lawyers and physicians) or service jobs (such as fast-food servers and health care workers). (Kendall, 01/2014, pp. 29-30)

Postmodern writing evolved around WWII in response to Modernism that dominated the 19th c. The two writing styles share many characteristics, but the defeated modernist wallows in his realizations whereas the postmodernist offers a light or hope in conclusion. There is still a sense of foreboding for the postmodernist concerning science and technology. However, they are able to forge past their distrust, accept it as a logical progression, and begin to embrace some elements of advancement. Postmodernists have also lost faith in transcendence and spirituality, but to counter this loss they search and find hope in mystical forces or worldly treasures. Objective reality doesn’t exist for them either, but

The main features of a postmodernist are that he or she is overly subjective, sensitive towards the role of ideology in assertion and maintenance of political and economic power. On the other hand, a modernist for example, there exists objective natural reality which is independent of human beings, their practices and relationships (Duignan, 2014). Such realities

Postmodernism refers to a broad term used to explain movements in philosophy, art, music and critical theory. Postmodernism is viewed as a reaction to the pioneering modernist movement. In literature and art, postmodernism responds against classical ideas. With respect to post-structuralism and structuralism, there is a great difference between postmodernism