In the article, On Spiegelman's Maus I and II, the author Ian Johnston, looks beyond the obvious in Maus II and discusses previously unexplored topics in the graphic novel.
In the first part of the article, Johnston discuesses the possible protagonist of the novel. He points out that Vladek at times seems like the main character, but unlike a true main character, he does not resolve his conflict through his own personal skills, rather he survives the Holocaust through pure luck. Also, he does not even seem to learn anything from his experiences, as shown by his racism to the black guy in the novel.
Another thing that Johnston covers in his article is thte sytle of Maus II. Spiegelan could have written teh story in any medium, novel, short story, but why did he choose to write it in a comic book format? Well, Johnston argues that the boxed pictures serve to compare both time periods side by side as an effective way to reveal his argument. By placing both pictures that come from different ime periods, the reader can better see the effects of the Holocaust into the present as a cause and effect relationship that otherwise would not be so obvious had Spiegelman chose another writing style in teh book.
Johnston also reveals his argument on why Spiegleman decided to portray his characters as animals. Johnston states that with such simplistic forms such as mice and other animals, the story constantly reminds the reader that this is not the actual reality of the Holocaust. For all we know, the story could be 100% pure fiction (Vladek's story I mean, not the Holocaust). The holocaust was such a big event, it can never be described in words or pictures, therefore there is no one side to the Holocaust or one "correct" flashback of how it happened, because different survivors each tell their own side of the story.
Link: http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/introser/maus.htm
