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The Social Construction of Race

Art Spiegelman highlights the invalidity of the social construction of race through anthropomorphism. 

When the Nazis attempt to find Vladek and Anja in the bunker hidden behind the coal, they bring dogs. These dogs are not represented as humans, walking on two feet and wearing clothes. Instead, they walk on four legs and are portrayed as actual dogs. Their inclusion in the story highlights how the cats and mice are not truly cats and mice, rather, they are humans with an innate humanity. The Nazi ideology that calls for the dehumanization of the Jewish race, Spiegelman argues, is unreasonable under the undeniable fact that Jewish individuals carry the same humanity as their German/"Aryan" counterparts.

Earlier in the story, Vladek is seen wearing a pig mask to hide his Jewish identity and blend in with the Polish. Through this strategy, he is able to easily convince the train conductor. This shows how Vladek's character and personality is not much different from the Polish - he is simply marginalized because of his race. Spiegelman reveals the innate similarities that unite the human experience; we are more alike than different. The author emphasizes that humans classify people by race in the same way we classify animals, but this is unjustified due to our likeness. 

Finally, at the end of chapter 5, Vladek and Anja are once again dressed up as pigs, walking down a path in the shape of a swastika. Despite their similarities to the Polish, they will be singled out - all roads lead toward the Nazis.  



Comments

  1. Sara ZDecember 4, 2023 at 7:34 AM

    That was really really great! I loved it…
    When I read I noticed that the dogs weren’t humanoid but I didn’t consider how that played a role in further dehumanizing the Jews. I also enjoyed reading your analysis on the significance of masks in the story.

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