Summary Of Page 80 Of Maus By Art Spiegelman

Page 80 of MAUS by Art Spiegelman uses various artistic devices such as framing, visual symbolism, and shading to show the hopelessness of Jews during the Holocaust. They were victims of fate, trapped with no control over their lives or the wonton horror inflicted by the Holocaust. Page 80 is comprised of five contained panels, and one unbound panel that bleeds over into another. Several of these panels are larger than average, most notably that of the top and bottom, allowing Art to show more detail and emphasize the importance of those specific panels. Page 80 shows Vladek’s near abduction by the Nazis in 1941. As Vladek is passing a train station on his way to see Ilzeck, he sees Jews being indiscriminately beaten and forced into train cars. Had it not been for Ilzecki conveniently passing by and hiding him, Vladek would have been rounded up and shipped off to Auschwitz, or killed on the spot with the others. This alone shows how hopeless the plight of Vladek and the other Jews was, had it not been for Ilzecki randomly walking through, Vladek would’ve been dead. He had no control over whether he lived or died, a single act of fate and luck is the only thing that saved him.

The first-person point of view is particularly engaging because it makes the reader feel as though they were inside the pen, watching the violence and hopelessness of the captured Jews personally. The panel also uses heavy shading and texture to create a jagged, dark, and chaotic panel. Many of the Nazis and Jews are shaded in heavily, obscuring features and creating very frightful imagery. This helps create a feeling of terror and urgency, while also showing the lack of control the Jews have over their