The Meaning of Masks in Maus

On page 43 of Volume II, Art and the other characters are visibly human, wearing animal masks on their faces. The masks reflect how people’s differences in race or religion are superficial; everyone is inherently human with a universal set of values regarding love, peace, and respect. The fact that Spiegelman only chooses to portray his characters as humans many decades after WWII emphasizes how people have gradually become more open-minded of other cultures and races. People now more readily embrace the diversity in society and have a mutual respect for each other. However, Spiegelman chooses not to completely expose the human faces of the characters to indicate how racial prejudice and discrimination still exist in the world, and people still possess biases and stereotypes regarding other races and cultures.

Art feels confused regarding his true identity and purpose in life. Art wears the mask in an attempt to feel a closer connection to his family and his Jewish heritage. By depicting himself as a child, Art reveals how he feels sheltered from the tragedies and hardships that his family endured. Art feels weak and helpless, guilty for enjoying such a comfortable lifestyle when his entire family was subjected to torture and other horrors. Art’s original goal in creating the novel was to gain a better understanding of the Holocaust and his father’s experiences. Instead, he is left with more questions and a greater realization that he truly cannot “begin to imagine what [the Holocaust] felt like” (46).

There is also a cat depicted in a photo frame in Pavel’s house. This cat is smiling and harmless, a stark departure from the ruthless Nazi officer cats. Pavel, a Jewish survivor, forgives the Germans for the hardships they inflicted on the Jews, unlike many other Americans and Europeans in the aftermath of WWII. Pavel recognizes that Germans should not be stereotyped as militant and aggressive people and understands that there are morally sound people of all cultures. The smiling cat also shows how Germany has evolved from a chaotic and war-torn society into one of the most developed societies in the world. Germany now is among the leaders in the automobile and electronics industries and provides its citizens a remarkably high standard of living.