In Maus by Art Spiegelman, the emphasis that Spiegelman puts on his pictures by contrasting their colors and zooming in on the characters over a series of panels helps the reader understand what Spiegelman wants the focus to be on, especially in the pictures of Tosha before she is about to kill herself and the children by using poison. One way that Spiegelman directs the reader’s focus is by contrasting the background. The contrast of the black background and the white skin tone of Tosha make her features stand out. This contrast means that Spiegelman wants the attention to be on Tosha’s features, including the wrinkles and beads of sweat on her forehead, both of which signal fear and determination. Another way that Spiegelman signals the reader