perspective

On the right is a Nazi propaganda poster. Nazi propaganda was used to praise the Germans, and spread Hitler's leadership while shedding a negative light upon Jews, blaming them for the poor state of Germany.

Between the two images above, many similarities can be drawn. For instance, on the left, is a page from Maus II by Art Speigelman, who uses mice to represent the Jews. In front stands Vladek Speigelman, and behind him are faceless mice, or Jews. In the drawing, Vladek looks exhausted and stressed, hence the bags under his eyes. The Jews are wearing prisoner uniforms, revealing their vulnerability.  On the right, Hitler stands in front of his supporters in a similar fashion. However, Hitler's facial expression isn't one showing weakness, but instead is one of power and ferocity, the people behind him saluting to him. The Germans are portrayed as a formidable power, as the goal was to convince people to stand by Hitler and the Nazis, when in reality, the world knows how unfathomably cruel they treated the Jews.

The title of the chapter from Maus is "Saved," layered on top of the American flag, implying that the Americans rescued the Jews from the Germans. On the other hand, the text on the propaganda poster translates to, "Yes, Leader, we are following you." When looking at both texts together, the contrast between how the Nazis portrayed themselves and how the Jews portrays them differs greatly; the Jews had to be a saved from the Nazis while the Nazis depicted themselves as a positive influence.