The Religious Meaning Of Maus, By Art Spiegelman

With this being said, cats/mice is not the only form of racism exhibited in the book. Vladek was a racist himself as well. When Francoise picked up an African American on the way back from the grocery store, Vladek thought she was unbelievable that she had let a "shvartser" into the car. And he kept his eye on this African American to make sure that his stuff was not stolen. This reminds us that racism of the Holocaust survives in other forms, besides what we discussed above.

Within many known religions, the devotional practices has been known to acquire great importance. The essence of practicing what you preach has scolded many religious groups, introducing true beliefs, righteousness, and a wider connection to the supreme being . In the book entitled “ Living religions” by Mary Pat Fisher, clarified and firm descriptions were introduced about religious rituals. Surprisingly; the author utilized small parts of modern concepts, limiting the reader from a full comprehension of religious practices today, therefore; I will only discuss the basic and traditional rituals. To elaborate; in this paper, I will be providing an opinionated but also, comparative description of the major practices and rituals that undergo in both the Abrahamic and indigenous religions.

In the book called Maus by Art Spiegelman, it tells the story about a mouse named Valdek Spiegelman, who is a Holocaust survivor, and his son Artie. Artie writes a book on his father and the terrifying experience he dealt with when surviving the Holocaust.

Karen Armstrong, author of “Homo Religiosus,” claimed that without the physical rituals and traditions, religion morphed into a belief. Simply put, Armstrong argued that religion requires not only blind faith but also customs and practices that affect one’s physical and mental behaviors. It is through these rituals and taboos that the religions grows and forms, and yet also changes when deemed necessary. Additionally, Armstrong constantly compares religion to different art forms. She does this to convey the message that much like art, one must focus and study religion for lengthy periods of time to be properly understood. However, this connection also suggests that art and religion can perform an analogous role to humankind when required, as they both evolve and change when a society 's infrastructure does. Throughout her essay “Homo Religiosus,” Armstrong focuses on the similar role that both art and religion play in society to discuss her claim that religion is not just a belief, but rather has to do with changes in physical and mental behaviors that in return create change in society and the religion one needs.

In Eliade’s The Sacred and the Profane, he accentuates the inevitable distinction between the sacred and profane.This develops when an individual tries to establish himself in his world and acknowledges his own individuality of the worldly and physical spaces he takes up. Chaos seems to be in the areas where the profane governs and there are no principles in a profane universe. The idea of the sacred comes from knowledge itself. The brahmanas defines religion and human existence with the sacredness embedded in water which brings forth life.

The gimmick of Maus, according to Hatfield, is the portrayal of human beings as animals; specifically, the gimmick is more so encouraged by how the Jews are seen as mice and the Nazis as cats, natural enemies in the animal realm. The term gimmick is defined as, “a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business.” Saying Maus relies on a “notorious gimmick” is implying how Hatfield is asserting that the use of animal representations of humans in Spiegelman’s comic is essentially what sets it apart from other stories of Holocaust survivors. The fact that the Jews and the Nazis are represented with animals that are automatically perceived as being “natural enemies” welcomes the attention of readers. One can undoubtedly see how Maus could have easily lost its appeal if it hadn’t been a comic and if it hadn’t had used this representation of humans as animals. Spiegelman’s story would have undoubtedly been one of a horrific incident, but it would have not received as much attention as it has if it hadn’t used this “gimmick.” This gimmick would have not been successful if Spiegelman chose not to do it as a comic, but rather in written form. Without the animal-human representation, Spiegelman’s tale of his father experience would have been lost along the other stories of Holocaust survivors, sadly. It wouldn’t have had such an impact

Rat infestations have swarmed throughout the world, looking for food, and spreading diseases, so of course people attempt to get rid of them. First off, they spread disease. It states in Source 1, “Around 60% of the rodents carry Weil's disease...” This quote states that the majority of all rodents, have Weil’s disease. That means that if you see a rat, it is probably infected with disease. This is incredibly dangerous for people walking the street, or someone without a home. That person who does not have a home, could get a disease very easily. The rats can carry disease and they can spread that disease, it even states in Source 4, “It was this rat which ushered in the Black Plague.” In this piece, they are speaking of Black Rats. These rats were probably one of the unlucky 60%, or it was a carrier something that was on them.

As I write this post, a recent memory springs up in my mind. Earlier this year, my dad had an art show at the Steffen Thomas Museum focused on Christian Art. One afternoon, Chris and I decided to go over there so I could look at his show. I am always amazed at my dad's art and this was no exception. As we went from painting to painting, I could not imagine the countless hours he spent on each one of these paintings.

As The Things They Carried has progressed, Rat (Bob) Kiley has developed into one of the novel's most dynamic and complex characters. When we first meet Rat, we learn he is a medic who carries comic books. This right off the bat alludes to the type of character Rat is: who would carry comic books around in a war? As the story progresses, we learn of Rat’s playful attitude. For instance, even as the soldiers plunge through an area full of bouncing bettys and booby traps, Rat cheers up the group by creating a funny little rhyme they all can chant, “Step out of line, hit a mine; follow the dink, you’re in the pink” (O’Brien 33). However, while Rat can often make the best of all situations with good humor, we quickly learn he’s much more than just

The Mice Gentle Small Sneaky Besides the background we know of about Maus, the mice look pretty gentle. I feel like they would be a great representation, especially when you're telling the story from a survivor’s child’s point of view, because mice are small, frail creatures when compared to other animals. I'm not saying “well, Jewish people are small and frail,” but it shows their soft sides... I'm not sure how to completely translate my thought, I'm sorry.

In the book  Maus by Art Spiegelman, it tells the story about Valdek Spiegelman who is a mouse, and a  Holocaust survivor, and his son Artie who wrote a book on his father and the horrible things he encountered during the time he was trying to survive the Holocaust.

Conceived in eras of uncertainty and strife, many people weave through the contradictions and inner struggles within communities, while also indulging themselves in the broad concept of redefining themselves just to feel accepted by the society around them. In “Homo religiosus” Karen Armstrong brings out the materialized definition of an “individual” through concepts such as religion, activities like yoga, the artistic features of caves, and most importantly the image of Brahma. The detailed notions placed on each concept yields the reassuring meaning that religion symbolically is a safe harbor, in which individuals can feel comforted and relieved. However the question that always comes up is if an individual is willing to exclude themselves from the harsh realities of society. As the essay progresses, Armstrong 's usage of words such as kenosis—emptying—, junzi—maturity—, and anatta—dethrone—broadens the idea on how an individual’s illusion of an identity can be renewed and reached (14,17). However with the brutish imagery that is brought up throughout the essay a sense of isolation and hopelessness, making for a mood of muted panic and dread questions the truth behind the meaning of a “being”. Yet in the end the idea that there is a world outside the circles of human existence, gets the individual going as they search for something worth living for.

Mysticism is a word we find in many books that relate to religious experiences. Mysticism is interpreted as searching for spiritual truth and wisdom through the unification with the Divine. Many Christians today believe that the words associated with mysticism like meditation and mystic are not coherently related with Christianity, but more with many Eastern religions. Eastern religions are definitely known for their mysticism, but it is believed to not be a part of Christianity. Mysticism is actually a vital part of Christianity in ways that are more spiritual rather than only being engaged with Christian rituals. Mysticism is the faith that spiritual reality is believed to be from human knowledge and their senses. It searches for truth

The first identity one can ever have is nothing except the foundation you are born with. A blank slate in the form of a baby, predestined with certain genetic characteristics. As life continues, the circumstances around oneself begin to inform one’s identity. Humans learn how to think and act, and their identity becomes a result of the response to their surroundings. Sometimes humans have more choices in life than others; these people have more freedom to choose their own identity as well. Art Spiegelman’s Maus is a story about identity, how it changes over time and how circumstances affect it. Each character is drawn with the head of an animal, a marker of the group they belong to. Spiegelman instills in every character on the pages a sense of “identity” that allows the reader to infer their place in the story. However, Spiegelman is constantly subverting this metaphor, contrasting the similar animal heads and the emotions they invoke with the actions in the panel. Spiegelman also makes the artistic decision to frame his graphic novel through a series of interviews between Art and Vladek, giving a story to both a victim of the Holocaust and someone who never experienced it but is nevertheless tied to it. Growing up as the son of two Holocaust survivors, Artie is raised under the shadow of a tragedy that wiped out his extended family and relocated his parents to the United States. The family’s history shows one of not just the religion, but of the societal and cultural bonds

In Art Spiegelman’s biographical graphic novel Maus 1: My Father Bleeds History, ethnic groups are portrayed as animals to allow the audience to understand the history behind the discrimination of Jewish people during World War Two, and the reasons behind the holocaust; Spiegelman utilizes this comparison to provide a better understand the mindset of the Germans, Jews, and Poles as the genocide began to unfold. Overall, Maus 1 focuses on the story of Spiegelman’s father, Vladek, who lived through the horror that was the holocaust, and his experiences as he tried to survive in Nazi occupied Poland. Therefore, the reason why Spiegelman portrays Germans as cats, Jews as mice, and Poles as pigs is to express how these groups viewed each other and to provide an understanding into the hostility behind anti-Semitism. As well, by using animals as an analogy, Spiegelman ensures that by creating an inhuman feel, the events could be looked at through a critical lens. Due to the relevance behind Maus, many articles were written, analysing the work. The article “Rhetoric Functions of the Infestation Metaphor in Hitler’s Rhetoric” by Steven Perry, provides insight into the origins of the depiction of Jews as rats or mice, and how it led to anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany. Likewise, Sheng-Mei Ma’s article “Mourning with the (as a) Jew: Metaphor, Ethnicity, and the Holocaust in Art Spiegelman’s Maus,” and “Well Intended Liberals Slop: Allegories of Race in Spiegelman’s Maus” by Andrew Loman