Contrary to what some might think, the literary field of graphic novels addresses important issues such as gender, race, and religion. One work stood out among the others as a classic and revolutionary piece that addressed one of, if not the most important and diabolical events to ever happen. Art Spiegelman's Maus portrays the Holocaust through the story of his Jewish father who survived the traumatic experience. This graphic novel addresses the topic of religion, more specifically Judaism, and sets the tone for future generations of artists in this field. This problem of Judaism can be seen in another highly acclaimed work by James Sturm entitled James Sturm's America: God, Gold, and Golems. Sturm's story, The Golem's Mighty Swing, shows similarities in its depiction of the Jewish condition, not during the Holocaust, but in small-town America in the 1920s. Both works deal with the similar theme of religion and, thanks to their artistic talent, show how the Jewish people have been mistreated but continue to fight, no matter what. There are, however, differences in the portrayal of Jews in both works. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Art Spiegelman's depiction of the Jews in Maus has attracted a lot of attention and criticism although it is a very important and symbolic aspect of his novel. Spiegelman describes the Jewish characters as rats, a creature that most people believe to be a disgusting vermin: fighting for scraps of food, hiding and scraping with little or nothing. The portrayal of the Jewish people as parasites was also a key element of propaganda during Hitler's reign and during his implementation of the Final Solution. In an interview with Nick Higham of the BBC news program, Spiegelman says this was one of the reasons he chose mice: "I call them mouse heads, they're masks... the final solution was built on the extermination of the Jews, not on murder". the Jews. Uh, and the concept of extermination is what you do to, uh, parasites... and it's not peculiar only to the Nazis” (“Art”) The idea of ​​mice as masks that the characters wear, as opposed to the animal actual, can be seen in Spiegelman's depiction of himself as he writes the graphic novel and talks to the psychiatrist, as shown below (Spiegelman 201 and 204). This subtle method in his artwork gives the reader a glimpse into the real faces, the humanity, of the novel's characters. The image of the Jews as rats is symbolic of the way Nazi Germany thought of that race during this time period. While it may seem a little harsh, disrespectful or unsympathetic towards the events of the Holocaust or the people who experienced it, in a way this was what the artist intended. He evokes these feelings in the reader in a way that only a graphic artist can, with visual depictions of unimaginably cruel acts, not on humans, but on mice. This is essentially how the Nazis viewed the Jewish people, who were less than human and contagious to the Aryan race. Yet we feel towards mice as if they were human beings themselves. Spiegelman states in the interview, “turning this notion of the subhuman on itself and letting these mice stand on their hind legs and insist on their humanity” (“Art”) was another purpose in describing them as such. This ability of Spiegelman to let the artwork and story create the sense of humanity in the characters depicted as rats as seen in his illustrations of the concentration camps. In thephoto below, on the left, you can see the absolute anguish on the characters' faces. Wide-eyed terror, an empty scream, bodies burning in the blazing white fire, the utter anguish of these characters is felt through the contrast of the burned black bodies and the white flames (Spiegelman 199). Despite being parasites, the reader feels a sense of pain for the characters as opposed to the revulsion they might feel if they confronted them. The Jews were portrayed as human beings. In the photo on the right, fear can also be seen in the wide-eyed face of the frightened mouse with a gun in his mouth while the Nazi, depicted as a cat, shoves the barrel of a gun down his throat while wearing a sadistic smile. James Sturm also addresses the topic of religion, particularly Jewish identity, in his graphic novel, The Golem's Mighty Swing. In this piece, the Stars of David are a traveling Jewish baseball team in the early 1920s, playing against other minor league teams for small sums of money. They are not depicted as animals, but rather as ordinary-looking Americans. They are truly a spectacle; however, many citizens come to the games to mock and insult the team, hoping that the hometown favorites can crush them and make them look bad. The third frame of this story shows a group of children, one peering over the fence, while another runs up asking, "Have the Jews arrived yet?" (Sturm 88). The reader immediately gets the feeling that people come to the games just to see “real live Jews playing baseball”! One still shows an elderly lady, who never comes to baseball games, stating, “I'm not here for baseball, but to see the Jews… Thank you very much” (Sturm 89). This old lady brazenly expresses how many of the characters feel about baseball and Jews, choosing the sport of ridicule over the sport of baseball. The true representation of the Jew as spectacle in this novel is Henry Bell, or Herschl Bloom, as The Golem. In spiritual terms and described by Fishkin, another player on the team. The Golem was a Jewish creation, “a creature that man creates to be a companion, protector, or servant…But only God can grant a creature a soul, and golems inevitably become destroyers” (Sturm 119). This explanation is important to the story because it not only foreshadows the team's future, but also how the team deals with it. The Jews know from their scriptures that the creation of a golem can only lead to destruction and ruin because this is the very nature of the beast. However, to get money, success, and more games on their schedule, they still choose to create this beast, even if it leads people to hate the Stars of David even more and ultimately causes their team to dissolve. Although there are differences in the way Spiegelman and Sturm represent the characters in their graphic novels, the way the other characters in the graphic novels, non-Jews, treat them is more or less the same. In Maus, Jews are marginalized by society, persecuted for their beliefs, killed and tortured en masse and stereotyped. The reader sees how Jews are separated from normal society as outcasts through propaganda and the establishment of ghettos. Sturm's characters are separated from society in a similar way, though not entirely. Creating their own team of Jewish players separates them from other baseball programs across America. It can be assumed that Jews as individuals were accepted in different places (the coach of the Stars of David, the Zion Lion, once played for the Red Sox), these players still remained far from theirbeliefs. Even more so when they created a team entirely composed of Jews, where the public could group them as enemies, not only as an opposing team, but also as a danger to the community. This conception of the Jews as the danger to the community can be seen several times in The Golem's Mighty Swing. When the team travels to Putnam to play the All-Americans, an editorial is published that may be linked to Hitler's propaganda, highlighting the danger these Jews supposedly pose to the community. Titled “What's at Stake,” the editorial goes on to say, “There is a greater threat that Putnam's All-Americans must defeat, the threat posed by the Jews. These dirty, long-nosed, thick-lipped lustres; they do not represent America, nor baseball, but only themselves. They will suck the money out of this city and then leave. A victory must be had. The playing field is our nation. The soul of our country is what is at stake” (Sturm 137) This editorial is explicitly racial, derogatory, and stereotypical propaganda that riles up the city and causes mass injustice around the game. Before the game even begins, a player is beaten at the local bar by the opposing team, eliminating him from the game. Sturm's portrayal of this character certainly highlights the victimized person, the disfigured and battered body, the depressed look on the Jew's beaten face, and the indignation of the teammates is visible in the facial expressions as they take care of the brother (Sturm 141). The crowd mentality of the audience during the game can be linked to the mass acceptance of Hitler's persecution. The crowd even goes so far as to injure a player who chases a fly ball into the stands; dragging him in, tearing off his hat and glove and causing a wound to his leg while shouting "Go home Jews" (Sturm 164). The climax of the game is seen in the riot caused on the field when the pitcher, The Golem, hits the local favorite in the head after the fly ball incident. The Mighty Golem manages to hold back the entire crowd because, although they are enraged, they are still afraid of this creature who they believe to be somehow more powerful due to the propaganda and stereotypes associated with this figure. In the scene inside the bench, the reader can see how Sturm's artwork sets the tone for the atmosphere and invokes a religious feeling in the reader. Here we see the lion of Zion; head bowed praying to God that he and his brothers can leave the city with their lives intact. The soft lights of the scenes contrast with the figure's dark beard, making him seem like a Messiah figure, especially in the fourth panel where the artist completely leaves out the background. The white negative space highlights the gaze of Jesus of the Lion of Zion, almost creating a light that surrounds him, similar to a halo (Sturm 171). The scene is tense as they pray for safety but on the next page a heavy downpour that cancels the game seems to be their salvation. A heartbreaking dramatic scene is heightened with the assumption that God answered their prayers and saved them. This scene is drastically similar to the portrayal of the characters in Maus, regarding their religion. Faced with extreme situations: starvation, hiding for their lives, or the incredibly harsh and horrific environment of concentration camps, Jews cling to their religion and ask God for help. Through their trials and tribulations, the people Jew from Maus overcomes all difficulties and survives as best he can. They work together and look out for each other. When one needs help, food, or anything else, they can usually come together. In the.1/12/)