Maus: I'm Officially Depressed

Well, admittedly when I saw the cover of sunken-eyed mice, I didn't know quite what to think. Following that, I decided I would think "I won't be able to take this seriously".

WHOA.

NOPE.

MY FEELINGS.

I did indeed take it seriously. As soon as I got to the bit where one mouse is beaten for requesting a larger pair of shoes, I... I don't know, I guess I just got into this frame of mind where the world I was reading into became just a bit more real. I'd heard various stories about Auschwitz before (pretty much all of us have), but they were mostly about the extreme things, I now realize. The gas chambers, and lack of food, and the hard work were one thing, but for some crazy reason the idea of not even being able to wear clothes that fit you hit me harder.

It was a relatable pain, I guess. I could imagine walking around on rough terrain all day with no shoes, and pants that constrained my legs. I could imagine spending a night one a wooden floor with barely any room to move, let alone be comfortable. I'm pretty sure I've done both of those, actually. But every day? For weeks? Months? Years? The idea of having the body constantly racked with the pains of knowing no relief of any kind is absolutely horrifying to me. More horrifying still: what if it got so bad that something like the gas chamber could be seen as a mercy? A way out? I shudder to think.

See, that right there is an example of how I'm feeling right now, and where my mind is at. The fact that I got to that point from reading about mice being pushed around by cats and a pig? Mind-boggling.

-Will Avery