Dear Art Spiegelman

Dear Art Spiegelman,

    I know there is essentially no chance that you will read this, but I thought that this was the only way to get my questions answered. Although you were very clear and specific in your graphic novel, my mind is still wandering and uncertain. Why weren’t you and your father close? Why didn’t you visit him often? Was it because you were only close with your mom? Was it because Vladek just got on your nerves and you just couldn’t deal with everything? Or was it simply survivor’s guilt? Why do you think Vladek remarry Mala if they both disagree and argue so often? How long did you have the idea of Maus before actually starting to interview and draw it out? Do you think it was right or justified for Tosha to kill herself and the children? At the beginning, Vladek seems unwilling to share personal details. What do you think opened him up more as your interviews progressed? Did your mother exhibit similar habits, such as counting objects, as Vladek? After you started interviewing your father, did your frequent visits bring you two closer than ever before? Do you think Vladek grew up to be similar to his father who forced Vladek to suffer for his own good? Do you actually smoke or did you just like using smoke as a motif? Why do you think your father had a prophetical dream that ended up being correct? Why didn’t your father disguise himself as a Pole from the very beginning?  Why do you think Vladek was so opposed to you wearing a shabby coat? Why did you contain overlapping panels in some sections and not in others? Are overlapping panels typical in comics? How much do you know of Mala’s Holocaust story? Why does Vladek insist on doing everything himself? Is it because he believes he should save his money as much as he can just in case? Why do you include a comic within a comic? To express not only your father’s feelings but your own? Does the comic truly express how you felt after your mother’s death? Do you still feel that way? Why is this the only section in which the characters are depicted as human but are still distorted? In the comics, Mala tells you that no other Holocaust survivor acts like Vladek? Why do you think that is? Do you regret calling your father a murderer? Why did you decide to split the story into two volumes? Why did you call the second volume “And Here My Troubles Begin” when the story doesn’t impact you significantly more than in the first? Is it because you had more trouble handling your father after Mala left? Is it because you had to write this volume after your father’s death? Do you think Vladek was lucky to survive the war? How did you continue writing after your father’s death? Do you regret publishing Maus at all? How long had you been seeing a therapist? Do you still see one now? Why do you only show the actual present in only one section of the story? Is it because it doesn’t really relate to the rest of the story? Why do you think Vladek still judges and stereotypes others by their appearances? Do you think Vladek will ever be over Anja? Why did you title the last chapter, “The Second Honeymoon”? Was it to show that Vladek was as happy with Mala was he was with Anja? How long did it take you to write both of the volumes? How many times did you revise the piece? Finally, how much of the story is the complete truth?

If you did read that never ending list of questions, I really appreciate it. One last thought that I wanted to share: Thanks for writing Maus. It’s a breathtaking piece that opened up my mind to so much more. One interesting quote I read was: “Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness” (Maus 45). Although Samuel Beckett’s words appear to contradict Maus’s purpose, they remind the audience that nothing could fully represent the Holocaust but Maus does show only one side to the story. 

Sincerely,

Julia