"Maus" is a challenging, complex work; in many ways it's a moving memoir of the artist's attempt to understand his father, a Holocaust survivor, but what are we to make of a work that presents Jews as mice and Nazis as cats? What was your emotional and intellectual response to this reading? Would you consider it a work of true art and/or literature, worthy of serious study? How would you define "literature" to include or exclude "Maus"?

Maus is an incredible example of creative nonfiction. Spiegelman uses powerful metaphors in his portrayal of Nazis and Jews as mice and cats, and it is definitely worthy of serious study.

Step-by-step explanation

By portraying Nazis and Jews as cats and mice, Spiegelman uses a metaphor: the mice are withdrawn and frightened, and the Nazis, the cats, are predators. It also points to the Nazis' view of the world; Jews were mice, Germans were cats, and Polish people in the novel were pigs. Not only is it clever, it allows younger readers to better understand the conflict through imagery. It is definitely a work of serious literature; and worthy of study graphic novels create a powerful narrative through the use of both illustration and writing. For example, Spiegelman uses black and white, simple drawings on purpose; to intensify the cold, blunt affect of the story. No other novel tells the story of the Holocaust quite like Maus does.