This project was made for LIS course 681, The Book 1450+. An option was to expand upon a book I considered to be a cultural icon. Upon thinking through many options, I chose to go with Maus. I knew it was a fantastic piece of art, having read it a couple of times and been astounded each time, but did not know just how lauded and successful it was. It certainly is a major feat to be the first and only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize!
While there has been much academic discussion about it since its publication, most of it is in the context of comics and graphic novels, i.e. focusing on the art. The symbolism of the art is not lost on any scholar, but the literature itself is not as widely discussed. It is, perhaps, more difficult to analyze the prose, as there is not really prose, but dialogue. However, the literary set-up of the frame story (and a frame story surrounding the frame story), in combination with the horrific subject matter and endearing yet nonfictional characters, make for a masterpiece. Rarely is Maus compared to other works of literature, just other graphic novels. Researching it with the idea that it is a cultural icon of books in general helped to see it through a bigger lens.
Having read it before certainly helped me when reading about it, as I knew what moments certain reviewers were talking about. Not having a physical copy at my disposal, however, made me rely on other means of looking for specifics. Luckily, I found a digital copy available through Archive.org that could be easily searched through. I browsed through this copy to get a feel for Spiegelman's art and writing style again, as it had been awhile since I had read it last. Then, I looked up a plot synopsis and information about Art Spiegelman to get the background information necessary to understanding it. Finally, I looked up both articles discussing it and general reviews to get both professional and personal opinions.
While a formal paper would have been fine, I have found that making webpages dedicated to certain topics allows for more creativity, more dynamic usage of images and other media, and is easier to navigate.
-Courtney B