Maus

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the book over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Vladek keeps many meaningless items, yet he chooses to burn Anja’s diaries and other pieces of meaningful memorabilia.

• What informs Vladek’s decisions on what to keep and what to destroy? (topic sentence)
• Provide 2-3 reasons Vladek would choose to keep some things but not others.
• Conclude with a brief explanation regarding how these decisions reflect Vladek’s relationship with his tragic past.

2. In Part 2, Chapter 3, Spiegelman depicts Vladek as racist in a scene involving a Black hitchhiker.

• What is the author’s purpose in including this scene in the book? (topic sentence)
• Discuss 2-3 ways this scene influences the reader’s impression of Vladek.
• In your conclusion, explain the overall impact of this scene on the mood or atmosphere of Maus.

3. Spiegelman includes the entirety of his older comic about his mother’s suicide in the text of Maus.

• How does the style of “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” communicate the emotions of its subject differently than the style used in Maus? (topic sentence)
• Describe 2-3 examples of visual symbolism or metaphor used in “Prisoner on the Hell Planet.”
• Conclude your essay with a summary sentence that acknowledges how each style fits its subject matter.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Spiegelman uses several visual symbols in his drawings to express a key moment or idea in Maus, such as drawing the Jewish mice wearing pig masks when they are attempting to avoid being identified as Jews or drawing Anja with a long tail to represent her physically ethnic appearance. Is this an effective use of the visual medium? Would Spiegelman be able to express these ideas as clearly in a traditional novel form? Or do the visual properties of the drawings enhance the language? Include 2-3 additional examples in your response.

2. A large part of the narrative focuses on Vladek’s health as an elderly man. This contrasts significantly with his virility as a young man who often used his physical prowess to overcome the challenges his dire situations presented. What value does the detailing of Vladek’s failing health provide for the overall story? Do the scenes that show Vladek counting pills, riding his stationary bike, or experiencing heart troubles enhance or detract from the story of his life during the war? Reference at least 3 details from the text in support of your thoughts.

3. In Part 2, Chapter 3, Art is discussing his father with Françoise, who marvels that Vladek survived all that he went through during the Holocaust. Art then says, “In some ways he didn’t survive” (90). What does Art mean by this? How does this statement inform Spiegelman’s depiction of his father in Maus? How does it reflect his overall decision to write the book in the first place?