Animal Symbolism

            Maus II has the most interesting feature of the animal allegory, in which the text uses different species of animal to represent different races or nationalities of people. The Jews are represented as mice which symbolize their prey like nature and meekness in relation to the Nazi Party who are represented as cats who are the predator. In the real animal world cats prey on mice who typically try and escape from the cat through hiding. This predator to prey relationship is actually symbolic of the situation having to do with the holocaust. Americans are represented as dogs, those who save the Jewish mice from the Jewish cats. This could be symbolic of the American personality as the loyal, trustworthy companions to their allies, much like how a dog is to their households or adopted families. Meanwhile the French are represented as frogs, and the poles as pigs. It is especially interesting to note how the mice are the only ones in the story who can pass for other animals by wearing different masks, such as a pig or cat mask. This detail is meant to represent how the Jewish people though both a culture and religion, can easily identify with other nationalities. For example a Jewish individual can also be German or American. As a result of this fact of life the mice are often drawn in Maus with different animal masks, as opposed to Americans or Germans not of the Jewish faith who cannot simply assimilate into a different culture because of their German or American nationality. Therefore the mice are only given this special privilege. The mice as Jews may also symbolize the German point of view of them as vermin or pests and therefore the cats are meant to hunt these mice and exterminate them, once again a genius idea to symbolize the holocaust through animal allegories or symbols.