Room for Growth

In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the aristocracy are at the center of the story. Most of the characters such as Tom, Daisy, and Gatsby have wealth whether it is family heritage or acquired. Even in the first few chapters, it is evident that the love relationships between some of the characters are very complicated. Tom is married to Daisy, but has affairs with Mrs. Wilson that lives in the blue-collar valley of ashes. Daisy starts to fall in love with Gatsby again. From the way things are in the Buchanan household, Daisy and Tom aren’t happy in their marriage. Why don’t they divorce, then, if they have other lovers? This can be explained through the aristocratic ways of the time. Tom and Daisy, both born into the old wealth (represented by residence in East Egg) were raised from childhood being used to the elite position in society. To maintain the wealth and prestige, it was common practice among the aristocracy to marry for social status. This likely forced Daisy ...

The Nazi propaganda poster translates to “Hitler Youth, Germany’s Future.” The background contains multiple Nazi Germany flags that wave strongly. A façade of an eagle flies in the background. The young man is portrayed as a bronze statue with perfect facial features and a strong body. Spiegelman’s chapter title reads “Saved.” The background is an American flag, not drawn to precision or geometry. On the left center are stoic Jewish prisoners dressed in Auschwitz prisoner outfits. On the right is Vladek portrayed as a mouse wearing casual clothing. Vladek is victimized with wrinkles and an obvious expression of sadness. The propaganda poster portrays Nazism as the step forward for Germany. The bronze young man shows the “perfection” of the Aryan race. The chiseled chin, strong-built, and Hellenistic statue-like figure shows the racial superiority that the Germans wanted. Spiegelman portrays the opposite. The weakened and distraught Vladek shows how the Holocaust took a hug...

Art Spiegelman beautifully utilizes elements of a graphic novel to represent Vladek’s experience in Maus. When I began to analyze these specific series of panels (116), the lightbulb clicked for a great prompt. In the page, the last four frames join together to makes a giant picture of Vladek on the couch. Through the dialogue, body language, and expression of Vladek, the sadness from his memories are depicted. The somber emotions reinforce how Vladek is haunted by his detailed memory of the losses of loved ones. The frames representing a single image symbolize how Vladek’s family is still a part of his life. The survivor’s guilt that Vladek feels can be inferred from the language and visual. Even through this guilt of being the only survivor out of his immediate family, Vladek continues to fight for his life. Experiencing the death of his friends made him cherish life even more for himself and their sake. This represents the unity portrayed in this page. However, the image of...

This homecoming made me realize how fast time passes. Three homecomings have already passed, all seemingly like it was yesterday. My friends and I have a picture that we recreate every year before the homecoming parade. To make a  post on Instagram , I dug through all the pictures back to freshman year. The pictures made me smile, but also reminisce and reflect on the great times. I find myself even snuffling away a few tears now and then. When flying through my memories, the question always pops into my mind, “Would I go back if I could?” And it is very difficult to answer. Some memories I remember are so perfect, that reliving that memory would take away the magic of the pure memory. However, at the same time, I long to experience the adrenaline and dopamine of the moment again. This flood of emotions that memories bring especially affects Vladek Spiegelman in Maus by Art Spiegelman. But in his case, reliving the memories isn’t a choice; he is haunted and forced t...