Post #12-Dani Reed

            There are many different moments in the first volume of Maus that exemplifies extraordinary pathos. One example is on page 201. This is something we talked about in class but I feel that it really represents something bigger to the author and something he tried to portray to his readers. The comic shows Artie distraught at his desk having to work and deal with all sorts of emotions. Below him is a pile of dead bodies that look extremely withered away. One body at the top has his or her mouth open as if they were screaming for mercy when dying. All of the bodies are so skinny you can see their ribs. I think that the author put this here for multiple reasons but one because he wanted to show that even though this is a survivor’s tale, it does not mean every one survived the holocaust. He wanted to portray how many victims were killed in awful ways and make sure that we always remember that. It also says on this page in a bubble from Artie, “Lately I’ve been feeling depressed.” I think this shows the toll that the holocaust took on some survivors and their family members. It is an awful thing to hear about and makes even someone like me who has no personal involvement in it queasy. This moment has extraordinary pathos because it really sets off emotions in the readers with their sad and depressed side. This is one part that really hit me showing that this is not just a cartoon comic strip of mice with this story, it was real and many people suffered serious consequences from it. It triggers a shocking emotion to see dead bodies on the ground piled high.