Oh my, well I must start off by saying that I am completely in love with this novel. Spiegelman is an absolute genius and the way that he constructs this novel is genius. Okay, so I have many potential thesis topics, so here I go.

One thing that really interests me is the whole concept of how Spiegelman created this graphic novel. For one, why did he even choose to make his father’s story in the form of a comic book/ novel? This holocaust was a a serious the tragedy and the fact that he decided to make this story into a comic book must be done on purpose. Also, within this comic book structure version of the novel, the metaphor that Spiegelman uses in which the people are different types of animals is also significant. I would enjoy deciphering this within my essay.

Another subject that really interests me is all of the relationships in Maus II. The entire book, most of the characters are selfish and abusive towards one another. One of the only people that I believe is not selfish in this novel would be Mancie. For example, in the novel when Vladek writes a letter to Anja he says, “and Mancie took it. She was so good. Always she took” (pg. 63). Mancie’s relationship with both Vladek and Anja instills hope in both of them. Mancie does this for no benefit to herself, but to the couples’ benefit. Also, Art abuses the fathers’ willingness to talk about the Holocaust. Art even believes that his father always is a source of “tension”. But, in reality he is the one who is making the father bring up tense stories. I could back this theory up by mentioning Art’s visit to his therapist in which the therapist said, “It sounds like you’re feeling remorse-maybe you believe you exposed your father to ridicule” (pg. 44). This exemplifies how Art knows that he took advantage of his father. I then think after I characterize this relationship, I would go on with other relationships provided in his novel.

Finally, one subject I could go on about is the key theme of luck within the novel. Vladek is a “survivor” of the Holocaust, but how much luck was actually involved? It seems like to me, ever since he got his number interpreted by the priest, he was instilled with this hope that led him to strive and encounter all the luck that he did. Also, I would like to deliberate on how this luck affected him. Vladek seems to feel remorse for surviving the camps when so many didn’t. What affect did his luck play to this?

Anyways, I believe in the first thesis idea that I stated, I could incorporate Scott McCloud pretty well, I could use his arguments on the nature and structure of comic books to show how and why Spiegelman constructed his novel the way he did. I’m sure there is so much more I could do, but that’s all for now.