AnalyzIng "Maus"

 For this blog, I will analyze page 107 but will also use events from pages 118 and 120. 

Throughout all the panels on this page, the background is buildings with stripes, but one of the panels is present-day but still has the same similar background of stripes. I feel like this was purposefully done to show that that even though Vladek’s trauma is all in the past it still is a part of him wherever he goes. It will always follow him throughout his life. Then later on page 118 while they are still walking outside Vladek has a seizure. They sit down on some stairs which are also outlined with many vertical lines or stripes, showing in one way that he is again in the past and the past is directly affecting him even till now. He then explains to Artie, " Last year [Miloch] got on the street a seizure- like I had just now" he ended up dead on the street (120). It can be inferred that the cause of his health and heart issues is the trauma that Vladek went through during the holocaust. Vladek also says, "I made too fast our walking" (118). This signifies that since Vladek is recounting all these memories essentially going back to the past he is causing himself pain. Mental pain but also physical pain, he got so caught up in the story that he forgot that he had to walk slowly for his health. Throughout the book, it is noticeable that because Vladek is retelling his story it is doing him more harm than good.