Project #2

The Past, Present, and ??? in Maus

We’ve been discussing the ways Art Spiegelman layers the past and present in Maus, both visually and narratively. In this writing project you’ll explore this dynamic further, focusing on a specific object, action, or place in the graphic narrative. You’ll trace this object, action, or place throughout Maus, analyzing how it contributes to the overall themes of the work.

details

This project involves several steps:

  1. Find an object, action, or place that is repeated throughout Maus. Like what? A watch. Shoes. Food, money, paper. Walking. Dining. Hiding. Streets, trains. Maybe it’s a distinctive visual motif. You can pick something specific (a coat) or a class of something (clothing). Use this object, action, or place as a prism through which you view Maus.
  2. Examine how this object, action, or place appears throughout both volumes of Maus. What are its contexts? Do patterns emerge? Are there exceptions to the patterns? How does it appear in the past, in the present, and in other time frames? Are there parallels between the past and present? Are there significant differences? How is it evoked both visually and narratively?
  3. Assemble the evidence you gathered into an argument about the way Spiegelman reckons with the past and present in Maus. Connect this argument to the overall themes of Maus. Use techniques found in the “So What? Who Cares?” chapter of Graff and Birkenstein’s They Say, I Say to establish the meaningfulness of your argument.
  4. Along the way, make use of either Joshua Brown’s or Hillary Chute’s insights about Maus (or both). Follow the advice in the “As He Himself Puts It” and “And Yet” chapters of They Say, I Say to help you integrate outside voices into your paper.

The draft should be about 1,000 words. The final revision should be about 1,250 words.

Goals

This writing project asks you to perform several important intellectual tasks:

  • Follow a single strand of evidence throughout a large work
  • Generalize an argument from specific pieces of evidence (inductive reasoning)
  • Articulate why your argument matters
  • Integrate outside authorities into your work

Deadlines

  • Draft due, by midnight Thursday, February 18. You’ll share your draft as a Google Document, allowing members of your group and me to comment on them. Full drafts include illustrative images, works cited, and your pledge.
  • Comments due by the start of class, February 23. Throughout this week of class you’ll have one-on-one meetings with me to discuss your drafts. Regular class will not be held.
  • Final revision due by 5pm, February 26. These will be shared with me via Google Docs. The final revision must include illustrative images, works cited, and the honor pledge. Name your final revision “FIRSTNAME LASTNAME Project 2 Final Revision.” Be sure to use the project checklist.

Peer and Self-Critique

For Project 2 peer review we’ll work in the following groups:

Group 1: ML, NF, JH
Group 2: MB, NN, MW
Group 3: WC, DH, BL
Group 4: BG, MJ, NM

For each paper in your group, including your own, you’ll perform a critique. This critique takes place in the comments of the Google Document, which you will sign into with your Davidson credentials.

Every critique (including your self-critique) should have the following components:

  • In your first comment, summarize the importance of the paper. According to the author, why does this issue matter, and to whom? You may not be able to offer this comment until you have read through the entire paper.
  • Provide some feedback on how the author integrates outside authorities. Does the author follow methods outlined in They Say, I Say?
  • Identify and comment upon the most confusing part of the paper. Explain what was confusing.
  • Identify and comment upon the least convincing example or evidence the author uses to support their argument.
  • Toward the end of the paper leave a comment in which you rank the originality of the argument. Does it go beyond our class discussion of Maus in new and interesting ways? Does it say something the other student papers on Maus don’t?
  • In your closing comment, give the author something to think about—an idea, a question, a recommendation for further consideration—for the next draft of the paper.