Rhetorical Awareness in the First Chapters of “Maus” by Spiegelman Essay

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One choice that demonstrates the author’s theoretical awareness well is the concluding scene in the first chapter of Maus, when the narrator’s father warns him not to disclose what he told about his youth. It demonstrates that Spiegelman is rhetorically aware of the fact that most of his audience would not have first-hand knowledge of the Holocaust and, for them, it would be just a page from history books. By reiterating the amorous adventures of the main character’s youth, he manages to make him more understandable, relatable, and, despite him being depicted as a mouse, more human. This rhetorical choice allows the audience, which would most likely not know about the Holocaust beyond the high school history class, to connect to the topic on a more personal level.

Moreover, the very fact of including this scene in the chapter endows it with a confessional quality. Within the scene, the father asks the narrator to omit what he just told because it has nothing to do with the Holocaust, signifying it as personal information. However, by virtue of reading the chapter, the readers already know that the narrator does not keep his promise because the story is right there, told through both drawings and text. Once again, adding this scene demonstrates Spiegelman’s awareness that most of his audience would not have a direct and personal connection to the Holocaust. Yet, by including this scene, the author makes the audience feel as if they have been let onto something personal and intimate, which fosters a better connection to the topic. Thus, the choice to include the episode with the narrator’s father asking to omit the stories of his youth is rhetorically aware in more than one sense.

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IvyPanda. 2023. "Rhetorical Awareness in the First Chapters of “Maus” by Spiegelman." January 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/rhetorical-awareness-in-the-first-chapters-of-maus-by-spiegelman/.

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