Maus & Barefoot Gen

Maus and Barefoot Gen are very intriguing when it comes to how they handle stories from two different parts of the world during the same war. Maus used an story within a story format, and it makes it very relatable beyond just being a story about the Holocaust. Because the narrator uses this story about him and his dad as the frame for his dad’s story, we are shown a lot about their relationship, how they both handle the death of Speigelman’s mom, and the gap in their generations where the child is making an attempt to realize or sympathize with the experience of the parent. Speigelman tells this story in the most real way possible, not painting his dad as a golden hero, nor himself. It really stands out from other Holocaust stories.

Barefoot Gen told the story similarly in a way. There is no interview or storytelling frame for it, and we’re in the moment with the characters. It works more for this story because it’s not trying to show the dynamic between a parent who was there and the child who wasn’t, it’s just a story about what happened. Barefoot Gen also doesn’t hold back with the reality of the effects of the bombs. It’s gruesome and upsetting, but it’s based off the author, Nakazawa’s experience. From the other stories I’ve heard about the fallout of the bomb, the moments right after the explosion in the film are accurate. There’s one chilling story the film reminded me of and that’s the ‘ant-walking alligator” of Hiroshima. It’s really sad, but the film showed something like this with the still living charred bodies the main character encountered.