Traumas and Graphic Novel

The graphic novel is not usually a medium used to tell traumatic stories, especially stories pertaining to the holocaust. Art Spiegelman, however, does a great job in bring to life his Fathers holocaust experience using the graphic novel. He does this by really paying attention to detail like Vonnegut in Slaughterhouse-Five. By giving his father’s story a comic like aspect he really catches your eye. There is so much going on that it goes beyond the writing. The use of the maps for example really allows you to get a feel for all the long distances Vladek traveled in the cold and harsh conditions of World War II. The use of the graphic novels allows the readers to immerse themselves in the story, because of all the design that went into it give you the most perfect understanding of what was going on and the reader uses all thus information to a create a more perfect image. Now the story of Vladek is passed from father to son in the most perfect way. Vladek tells his son his story by conversation. All if not most have had our father or grandfather tells us stories. Artie gathers all of the accounts of the holocaust he needs by having a conversation with his father while they’re going to the bank or doing chores around the house. Even though they cannot stand each other sometimes when they get together to discuss the holocaust and Vladek experience they really bond and create a connection. In part because of this is why the story makes such an impact for the reader. Vladek’s story is such a personal one that really the only way to get all the details of what happened to him during the holocaust was ask him, Artie did just that and by doing so he created a very epic story.