Let's Be Honest

Recently, I have been watching Mad Men, a TV series detailing the lives of prominent, white-collar men. The show takes place in the 1960s, yet the actions of the men parallel those living in the “Roaring Twenties”. This decade was filled with excitement and unconcerned spirits. Life flew by without entertaining the thought of the great problems that stained the integrity of America.   As with any influential book, Great Gatsby addresses the social issues that we failed to confront.                 Men and women were held to different standards in the early 20 th century. Men like Don Draper in Mad Men could run around indulging in evil while Betsy Draper would be severely reprimanded for doing the same. Similarly, Tom Buchanan embodies this hypocrisy. He “turned up in popular restaurants with his mistress”, openly and unashamedly embracing his adultery. Although “his acquaintances resented this fact...

                     In the eyes of a cat, the mouse is simply a source of sustenance. On the other hand, a mouse sees the cat as an evil predator. Perception evidently relies on position.                 Art Speigelman extends this metaphor of cat and mouse throughout his comic, Maus. In each chapter title page, he reveals a unique interpretation of the events that soon transpire. For example, on page 41 of Volume 1, Spiegelman creates an image of two, ferocious cats with guns aimed at an innocent-looking mouse. Vladek, the real soldier depicted by the scared mouse, explains how Jews were treated compared to other soldiers of different ethnic backgrounds. They “stood separate” from everyone else; the cats shouted at them, saying, “It’s all your fault, this war” (V.1, pg. 51). The German people were falsely made to believe that Jews were to blame ...

Art Spiegelmen, in his award-winning, captivating comic, Maus , structures sequential frames in a way that produces a much larger image on the page. Each instance, not coincidentally, is used to further magnify the theme. It stems from the idea that although put in the back of the mind and seemingly replaced, the memory of surreal events will always remain somewhat present. For instance, on page 12 of Volume 1, Art brings certain aspects of the frames together to create a bike. The reoccurring motif of the bike along with the image here amplifies the importance of the theme. Vladek pedals his bike similar to the way people worked in the concentration camps. They were both grueling tasks with no purpose. Life for Vladek had progressed, but he kept his former fixed habits. He does not want to relive what has happened, but it will forever be a part of him no matter how hard he tries to stop. In addition, on page 116 in Volume 2, Vladek’s image again becomes the centerpiece of th...

Throughout Maus , Vladek and Mala possess a unique relationship. Spiegelman hints at and brings up their encounters frequently, but the nature of the marriage becomes especially clear on page 104. Mala “helped out after Anja’s funeral” while Vladek “keeps photos of Anja all around his desk- like a shrine” and “thinks always about her.” Mala brings comfort to Vladek as he continues to battle the loss of his first wife. Therefore, Mala, in Vladek’s mind, is supposed to be the replacement for Anja, yet she cannot replicate what is past. Vladek is unhappy with Mala, constantly questioning her. He says, “You see how she is? What have I to do with her?” Although Mala does numerous tasks for Vladek, he remains unsatisfied. After realizing his intentions in the marriage, all the complaints seem legitimate, though, because Mala will never be Vladek’s love. The burden he feels will never be lifted by her.   Only Anja can do that.