Katelyn Meitz

Mr. Salow
English 11
1/9/17
Five Frame Analysis
Maus II

Vladek died part way through the writing of Maus II. Art Spiegelman started off chapter
2 stating that Vladek died of congestive heart failure. Vladek was the main character and the only
source for the story. Art says hes been feeling depressed. Writing the book has been hard for
him. His facts and dates are all out of order and his sentences are confusing. Whats really
important about the beginning of chapter 2 is the first five frames on page 41. Art draws himself
wearing a mouse mask. These five frames show an identity crisis that Art Spiegelman is having
with himself.

In the first frame, Spiegelman shows himself with a mouse mask for the first time.
Theres nothing big happening around him, so its clear he wants the readers to look at his mask.
The words that Spiegelman put in this frame are explaining how and when Vladek died. The
picture and the words have never connected more than they do here. Hes asking himself: Who
are the real jews? His identity is in jeopardy since his father, the Holocaust survivor, has died.
Spiegelman was raised jewish, but he never went through anything as horrible as the Holocaust.
That fact alone makes him question who he is. The mask is covered in vertical lines and bags
under the eyes are drawn thick. That makes it seem like hes tired or depressed.

Also, in this first frame, Spiegelman adds a few little flies buzzing around his head. The
reasoning for that comes in a later frame.

In the second frame, Spiegelman adds his hand with a pencil. So now its not just about
his mask, its about his book too. The words in the frame are going back the Holocaust and
talking about how Vladek started working as a tinman in Auschwitz. His topic shifts though,
when in the next sentence he says when he started working on this current page. Once again, the
words and the picture are connected majorly. It shows him trying desperately trying to write his
book about the Holocaust and Vladek (his hand and pencil), but he gets distracted easily (the
mouse mask). His identity crisis, the mouse mask, will continue to be a distraction to him.
A few more flies are added to the background on this frame and the bags under his eyes
on the mouse mask stick.

The third frame was tricky to figure out. It looks similar to the second, so similar that I
almost could not find a difference. I know though, that Spiegelman meant something by it. So, it
has Art, sitting at his desk writing like in the first two frames, only this time his arms are folded
and he isnt writing anymore. Since he stopped writing in the frame, I see that as he stopped
writing overall. Hes feeling depressed and he cant find the motivation to keep writing the story
about his father. After that frame, Art doesnt draw himself writing again through the whole
chapter. The words in this frame explain how him and Francoise are expecting a baby in 1987,
then he goes straight to 100,000 jews were gassed in 1944. Once again, he cannot focus and he
cannot keep his dates in chronological order.
Flies are still buzzing around his head.

The fourth frame of the five, I see has a transition frame. Art is still at his desk, but now
hes facing forward with his hand up, indicating hes talking to us; the readers. He changes the
topic to Muas part 1 and informs us that in September of 1986 it was published. All of this is just
readying the readers for whats about to come in the following frame, and the rest of the chapter.

The fifth frame is interesting. The flies are thicker than ever now. The words in the frame
first talk about how hes gotten some offers to turn Maus Part 1 into a movie. He doesnt want to.
Then he transitions into how in May of 1968 his mother killed herself. Then he finally admits
that he does feel depressed. His topic shifts so much its hard to make it relate to anything or
even relate it to the picture drawn. He makes it 100% clear here because how his head is laying
down on the desk, like kids will do when theyre tired at school and pretend to sleep. So, hes
tired basically. Another interesting thing drawn in here is the window. Slowly the window has
been coming into view, since the third frame actually. Here its in full view, and theres a guard
tower and barbed wire shown. Clearly, Art doesnt live next to a concentration camp. Hes using
it as a metaphor to say he feels trapped. Trapped whiling writing this book and trapped where he
is in life. The flies have a sole purpose now. Theyre buzzing around the dead bodies that Art has
been sitting on top of this whole time. Once again, its clear theres not a pile of dead jews in
Arts house, its another very sad metaphor. Id say, this metaphor means he feels overwhelmed.
Theres so much work for him to do, so many things he needs to take care of, his dad died, his
mom killed herself, hes having a baby I dont blame him for feeling that way, not at all.

These five frames as a whole are not about the Holocaust or Vladek. He makes Holocaust
references and speaks a little about it in the word bubbles, but none of it is actually about that.

They are purely about Art and how hes been feeling. It starts off with the identity crisis; the
mouse mask, which leads into his inability to work on his book or keep dates and his work in
order, which finally ends with his overwhelming life and how he is not handling it at all. Theres
a whole lot of thinking and breaking down the small things in these five frames, but Id say,
theyre some of the most important in the whole graphic novel.