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This paper will analyze the graphic strategies used by Art Spiegelman on page 13 of his graphic novel, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. This page represents a part of the narration when a father tells his son about his past, so it includes both the current timeline of the story and flashbacks. Memory moments are depicted in rectangular panels that have borders, while the present is shown in the panel without a frame. Such representation helps to separate time periods from one another.
When analyzing the panel that depicts the father in the present, it is worth noting the background does not show a room where the character is located at the moment. The background has the poster with a celebrity Vladek is talking about. This technique immerses the reader even deeper into the character’s memories. As for flashbacks, these panels also have a time gap. The four upper panels show the character coming in his house and talking on the phone; the two lower panels on the right side show Vladek and Lucia having a date. These time periods are separated by a wider gutter that also includes the father’s remark from the present.
Vladek’s speech in the two upper panels is a caption narration as it provides the setting, description, and atmosphere. Jagged balloons in the third and fourth panels point out Vladek’s friend on the other end of the phone sounds rather emotional as he is probably excited to tell the good news. The reader can “hear” the phone, thanks to the usage of the sound “rring” (Spiegelman 13). However, the author uses not only verbal elements for sounds but also the icons of musical notes in the scene where Vladek and Lucia dance.
Shadows and tones also have a great meaning for the narration. For instance, dark lines on the wheel of an exercise bike reflect the movement of the wheel. In the scene with dancing, Vladek and Lucia are depicted as almost completely black silhouettes, which makes the reader focus on these characters. The dancing figures behind them are shown unclear and shaded with the help of hatching. Such drawing makes them just a background that creates the setting and atmosphere.
Work Cited
Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. Penguin Books, 1987.
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