The assignment is below.

Short Essay: Art Spiegelman’s Maus. A Survivor’s Tale. Vols I and II.

Assignment:

Spiegelman has written a story about his father’s life. Written as a cartoon and an animal fable, this book is, to say the least, an unusual, interesting, and provocative story about the Holocaust.

What do you think Spiegelman is trying to accomplish in his book? Does he succeed? If so, how?

Specifications:

Your essay should be three pages in length (approximately 750 words). The text should be typed, double-spaced, with 1.5-inch left and right margins, 1-inch top and bottom margins and paginated. Failure to abide by any one of the above stated specifications regarding typing, spacing, margins, and pagination will result in a ½ letter grade penalty for each infraction.

Writing:

As you write your essay, do not simply summarize the story. You should respond to the questions being asked. Since your essay is short, you must concentrate on responding to the assignment directly and concisely. Instead of summarizing the story, offer your own ideas, opinions and observations in response to the book and the assignment.

This essay is also an assignment in writing well and persuasively. For questions of grammar and style, use the short guide by Strunk and White, The Elements of Style. Organize your argument logically.

When you begin writing, make sure you indicate your central argument at the start of your essay in the first paragraph. Make sure that your subsequent paragraphs all support or develop this main argument. Use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph and to ensure a logical and coherent train of thought in the essay. Sentences in each paragraph should support or illustrate the topic sentence. Use well-chosen examples or quotations from the text to support your points.

Craft your prose: Make sure you are using the best words to convey your ideas and to persuade your reader. Check your writing: make sure there are no grammar and spelling mistakes. Proof read your work: read your essay backwards to make sure you have caught all typographical errors. Read your essay aloud, if need be, to ensure that your essay is coherent and that your sentences follow logically. Your paper should be a clearly-expressed and polished essay.