Tag Archives: Respondent

Respondent: The Return

I agree overrall with cbrownv that Marji’s grown a lot. Her experiences in Austria definitely helped that happen. She tried to fit in in a country that was mostly foreign to her and adopted a new family of sorts in her efforts to figure out who she is. She fell in love and had her heartbroken and then lived on the streets for a few months. She matured because of those experiences and returned home to Iran to finish what she started in Austria. I think her going home was a clear indicator that she realized that she had to make sense of who she used to be before she could figure out who she’s becoming so that she could recognize the difference between the two. She seemed so unwilling to believe that she had changed, that she wasn’t the prophet-aspiring Marji who had all these beliefs. I think she really wanted to believe she was still the same girl and she was taking a detour for the moment and could easily go back to who she was. It wasn’t until she went back home that she understood that it wasn’t going to be that easy.

I think we see Marji grow even more in this particular chapter because she is now looking at her origins through more realistic lenses.

She’s looking at the world through an adult lense at this stage in her life, not “realistic”. I only say adult instead of realistic because I think Marji saw the world in a way that was realistic to her at that age. Her innocence lead her to view the events happening around her in that sheltered way that children do. In this chapter, her perspective about the events of her childhood and the state of her country then and now have definitely shifted.

When she finally arrives home she is more reserved and quieter in her approach towards her parents as well as speaking about current topics in Iran.

I thought a lot of her subdued behavior could have been due to her feeling ashamed that she wasn’t as involved in her culture as she used to be. On page 193, she talks about how she was distancing herself from her culture because she was trying so hard to fit in her with new friends. In the lower panel, she mentions that speaking to her parents reminded her of her cowardice and betrayal. That part of the book was the first indication I picked up on about the identity crisis she eventually developed. It was easier for her to be outspoken about what was happening around her in Iran because she knew what she was talking about. She was much more informed before she went to Austria, but after she stopped following TV reports about the situation and had less discussions about it with her parents, the less she had to say about it. When she returned home, I felt that the change in behavior was fitting.

Respondents: Thoughts on Vladek and His Accent

Nathalie Asked–Respondents: What do you think of the usage of dialect? Is Vladek the only one to speak in accented English? Is it effective? Confusing? Offensive?

I, for one, am a huge fan of Spiegelman’s usage of dialect in Maus.  Mostly it’s because of how it helps me to immerse myself even further in the story being told. Usually when reading literature where accented dialects are heavily featured, the reader must imagine the story since the information is consumed through words. Maus, in its comic form, gives you a visual to accompany the words. For me, the accented English provides a distinct voice to the narrative and completes the picture. The dialect is an expression of Vladek’s Jewish heritage and that helps to make the story that much more realistic. It’s a constant reminder to me that we’re relearning about the Holocaust through a survivor’s eyes.

The difference in speech also helps distinguish between the present and past at times while reading. We bounce back and forth between the two throughout Maus and just like the change in the shape of a bubble or frame helps to signal to the reader whether it’s a thought or speech, I think Vladek’s accented English pulls you back to the present with Art and away from the story’s setting in the past without being too huge of a distraction. As far as I can tell from what we’ve read so far, Vladek is the only one who speaks in accented English. When Art talks with Mala on pages 92 and 93 after Vladek goes to rest, they are in the present, but her English isn’t accented despite her being a survivor as well. Though we clearly know which character is speaking because we can tell by looking at the illustrations, if one was to erase the bodies of the Art, Vladek, and Mala and leave only the speech bubbles, it would be easiest to figure out which one was Vladek due to his accented speech. I find that especially interesting since, like we discussed in class, the characters all look fairly interchangeable due to the vagueness of their illustration.

Respondent: Free From the Mask?

I also found Chapter 7 to be very intriguing. Laurie and Dan are the two most down to earth of the current Minutemen. Unlike the Comedian, Rorschach, Ozymandias, and Dr Manhattan these two seem to have little problem dropping their masks and living a normal life after the Keene Act. At least that is what it appears at first.

During the ‘Owl Cave’ scene, all Laurie can think of is how great all of Dan’s gadgets are and how they would have been wonderful to have back when she was an adventurer. It is a kid in a candy store moment, but neither is willing to admit just how much they missed life behind the mask.

After the tour of the ‘Owl Cave’ Laurie and Dan have an intimate moment on the couch. I found this a great piece of story work because it was not your typical impassioned idealistic sex, but the awkward experimentation of a new couple. The scene felt very real and Dan’s impotence because of his lack of confidence did much to add depth to his character.

Once they get back into costume though Dan is capable of performing as seen on the last page of Ch. 7. This scene really gets at the fetish like nature of the costume hero which I found interesting. By definition a fetish is some sort of object that is required to arose and perform sexually.