A talk by University of Iowa professor Elke Heckner.
Each survivor generation has created its own powerful representation of the Holocaust. As such, Art Spiegelman’s 1986 Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel MAUS exemplifies the second-generation point of view. A Tennessee school board has recently banned MAUS—which narrates the story of Spiegelman’s father Vladek, a first-generation survivor in conversation with his second-generation son.

During this talk you will learn how to interpret difficult content in Spiegelman’s graphic novel, get a grasp on some of the issues that have set off misunderstandings about MAUS, and recognize the importance of giving voice to the experience of sons and daughters of Holocaust survivors. After this talk, you will be able to explain why MAUS is especially important for Holocaust education in schools.