I don’t remember which year of secondary school typically addresses WWII, although Maus would be appropriate regardless. Even though it deals with suicide, murder, and a little language, students from sixth grade through twelfth grade would benefit from reading Maus. Few pieces of literature are appropriate for such a wide span of students, but Spiegelman’s graphic novel makes the grade (lol). I would LOVE for someone who either has or can imitate a “jewish” accent read some of Vladek’s lines for the students (I have tried and am nowhere close) so they get a more animated sense of the way he talks. As I read, I imagine the Jewish dad on the movie Independence Day.
In the fall when I student teach, I have to do A Separate Peace, but I wish I could do Maus instead. I might see if the history teacher at my placement has read Maus and lend it to him/her if they haven’t. I really think students learning about WWII would get more from this than any of the boring movies and other literature out there. However, I do think a WWII unit should be supplemented with pieces from the cannon.
In the novel, Vladek is “cheap”: finding a use for almost anything tangible (chunk of phone cord in the trash), but not valuing anything frivolous (weekly appointments to the salon). While Jews get a bad rap for similar values, many people from that generation remained frugal even if their financial burden lifted later in life. One part that horrified me was how German soldiers dealt with small Jewish children who were too noisy when they separated them from their parents. I guess because I am a parent, every instance having to do with kids stands out to me; from the one lady poisoning herself and the three kids to the way non-jewish children were taught to fear and hate the Jews.
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