A visual text is very different from a written text especially when it comes to effects. A visual text allows the reader to see such things as light and colors and it is easier to use the imagination because of these effects. Using the vision let the mind be more imaginable and creative. Also, these effects make the reader perceive and see art in a different way than a written text. In this essay, the focus will be on a picture from Maus by Art Spiegelman, in the Carolina Reader. The reason behind focusing on this image is the history behind the story, which this image is a part of, namely the Holocaust during World War II. The Holocaust was a serious worldwide event where the Nazis killed millions of Jews. This event created a very painful memory in a lot of people's mind, and the fact that Art Spiegelman is bringing elements as sarcasm and irony into the event makes it very interesting to analyze.  

The image depicts three uniformed mice standing in the front of a big crowd of civilian mice. One of the uniformed mice is raised above the others as a leader shouting a message through a megaphone. These three uniformed mice are placed in the right side of the picture and the crowd is placed in the rest of the image. In the top of the picture a speech bubble saying "FELLOW JEWS: ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12TH, EVERYONE OF YOU, YOUNG AND OLD, MALE AND FEMALE, HEALTHY AND SICK, MUST REGISTER AT THE DIENST STADIUM." This saying is explaining that every Jew no matter condition, age or gender must register at the Dienst Stadium on August 12th to get a stamp in their passport. Also, placed right above the crowd are two other speech bubbles saying: "OH NO!" and "NOW WHAT?" These two bubbles show the confusion and satisfaction. The second speech bubble saying: "NOW WHAT?" not only creates confusion but also show that the crowd has nothing to say in this conflict. They have no rights to complain or argue. They have to accept orders without knowing what is going to happen. A bus and large buildings surround the crowd in the background. The large buildings surrounding the crowd on all sides symbolize the entrapment of the Jews.

Two effects in this image make it especially interesting. The effect of the speech bubbles makes the image work as a live event. This effect creates more presence and attendance. Also, the speech bubbles forces the audience to read and make thought, which also makes the image more alive. The saying in the top speech bubble gives the reader a clear picture of the mice all being gathered to receive an important message of what is going to happen next. The way this speech bubble is built also appears as an effect for the audience, because it is not a usual speech bubble drawn like a soft sky but rather drawn with hard lines. The use of hard lines impact the audience's perception of the image in a more dramatic way than if lines drawn like a soft sky was used. Also, hard lines illustrate shouting and yelling because of all the letters is capital. Usually lowercase letters is used when writing letters, text messages and stories, but when capital letters is used it signals seriousness and importance.

Another effect is the three uniformed mice being raised above the crowd in the right side; this is illustrating power and hierarchy. The image is being build up around the uniformed mice and they appear as the most important part, because they are being put in the front of the image. Being in the front of the image is attention catching. The uniformed mice are also more clearly drawn than the crowd. A pointing hand, ears and their clothes catches the eyes immediately, and the lines of the drawing are easier to see on the uniformed mice than a lot of faces and hats in the crowd. Also, the uniformed mice holding the megaphone has risen his armed pointing at the crowd. This element also shows power, but because the mice are the leaders in the image it also shows that what he is saying is very important. When a leader raises his hand and is pointing a finger when saying something, it is considered very important, so in this image the effect of the raised hand and pointed finger gives the audience an understanding of whom is whom and the relationship between the three uniformed mice and the crowd. Another effect is the colors used in the image. The image contains only of black and white, which gives the audience a feeling of darkness and sadness illustrating the dark and sad time of the Holocaust event. There are no colors to lighten the picture and that gives the feeling of sadness, which depict the Holocaust event.  

Another aspect of this image is symbols. The artist's use of mice instead of human beings is an important symbol in the image. Being made aware of the mice appearing as Jews, seen in the speech bubble in top of the image, is a symbol of the relationship between the Jews and the Nazis during the Holocaust. This relationship symbolizes the cat being the strong and powerful animal that hunts and eats mice. During World War II, the Nazis were the strong and powerful people who not only killed but also hunted the Jews. In this image, the Nazis are not shown on the picture, which creates a frightening atmosphere. The Jews do not know if going to the stadium could be a Nazi trap. So, the Nazis not being illustrated in the image makes the Jews afraid of what is going to happen and what the Nazis have planned.   

The artist's use of the cats/mice symbol has to do with the genre of the story and image. The story is a comic strip that contains a lot of irony, which is a very painful topic for many people especially those who have experienced such events as being in a concentration camp. It is a very sensitive event to talk about through comic and using irony. It is also very rare to bring up a so serious event as the Holocaust through a comic strip, usually is considered as fun reading. 

This image has many different aspects but the most important ones are the understanding of the context and how the author uses mice to show the relationship between the Jews and Nazis during the Holocaust. The author using specifically this relationship between cat and mouse shows sarcasm and a sense of fun. This because the cat and mouse game back from the childhood is illustrated in many cartoons and even movies. From a very young age, empathizing with the mouse is part of learning because of the fact that the mouse is the hunted one, who always get frighten out of its wiz. But learning also involves the mouse being crafty and rebellious. The mouse represents the Jews in this picture. The cat on the other hand awakens some whole different feelings. The cat is looked at as the hunter of the helpless victims (the mouse) and because of that the cat has a tendency to be abhorrence. 
