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 rest as a classic, groundbreaking piece that addressed one of, if not the most important and diabolical events to ever occur. Art Spiegelman's Maus depicts the Holocaust through the story of his Jewish father who survived this traumatic experience. This graphic novel addresses the theme of religion, more specifically Judaism, and sets the tone for future generations of artists in this field. This issue of Judaism can be seen in another highly acclaimed work by James Sturm titled James Sturm's America: God, Gold, and Golems. Sturm's story, The Golem's Mighty Swing, shows similarities in describing the plight of Jews, not in the Holocaust, but in small-town America in the 1920s. Both works touch on the similar theme of religion and, through their artistry, show how the Jewish people have been mistreated but continue to fight no matter what. There are, however, differences in the depiction of Jews in the two works. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay Art Spiegelman's portrayal of Jews in Maus has attracted a lot of attention and criticism despite being a very important and symbolic of his novel. Spiegelman depicts Jewish characters as mice, a creature most people believe to be disgusting vermin: fighting over scraps of food, hiding, and getting by with little or nothing. The depiction of Jewish people as vermin was also a key element of propaganda during Hitler's reign and his implementation of the Final Solution. In an interview with Nick Higham of the BBC news program, Spiegelman said this was one of the reasons he chose mice: "I call them mouse heads, they're masks...the solution The final outcome was based on the extermination of the Jews, not on murder. the Jews. Um, and the notion of extermination is what we do to, uh, vermin… and it’s not unique to the Nazis” (“Art”). The idea of ​​the mice as masks that the characters wear, as opposed to the animal itself, can be seen in Spiegelman's depiction of himself as he writes the graphic novel and speaks to the psychiatrist, as we see it below (Spiegelman 201 and 204). This subtle method in his work gives the reader a glimpse of the true faces, of humanity, of the characters in the novel. The image of Jews as mice is symbolic of how Nazi Germany thought about this race at that time. Although this may have seemed a bit harsh, disrespectful or unsympathetic towards the events of the Holocaust or the people who experienced it, in a way it was what the artist wanted. He evokes these feelings in the reader in a way that only a graphic designer can, with visual depictions of acts of unimaginable cruelty, not on humans, but on mice. This is essentially how the Nazis viewed the Jewish people, that they were less than human and contagious to the Arian race. Yet we feel for the mouse characters as if they were humans 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 goal in describing them as such. This ability of Spiegelman to let the work of art and the story create the feeling of humanityin characters represented as mice, as shown in his illustrations of concentration camps. In the image below, on the left, you can see the utter anguish on the characters' faces. Wide-eyed terror, empty scream, burning bodies in the burning white fire, the utter anguish of these characters is felt through the contrast of the black, burned bodies and the white flames (Spiegelman 199). Despite being vermin, the reader feels a sense of sadness for the characters, as opposed to the revulsion they might feel if the characters' Jews were drawn as humans. In the photo on the right, one can even see the fear in the wide-eyed face of the frightened mouse with a gun in his mouth as the Nazi, depicted as a cat, shoves the barrel of a gun down his throat while while wearing a sadistic smile.James Sturm also addresses the theme of religion, particularly Jewish identity, in his graphic novella, The Golem's Mighty Swing. In this play, the Stars of David are a traveling Jewish baseball team from the early 1920s, competing against other minor league teams for small amounts of money. They are not depicted as animals, but rather as ordinary Americans. It really is a spectacle; however, many townspeople come to the games to mock and abuse the team, hoping that their hometown favorites can crush them and make them look bad. The third image in this story shows a group of children, one looking over the fence, while another runs up and asks, "Are Jews here yet?" (Turn 88). The reader immediately gets the impression that people come to games just to see “real live Jews playing baseball”! One image shows an elderly lady, who never comes to football games, declaring, "I'm not here for baseball, but to see the Jews...Thank you very much" (Sturm 89). This old lady blatantly expresses what many of the characters feel about baseball and Jews, choosing the sport of ridicule over 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, a protector, or a servant… But only God can grant a soul to a creature and inevitably golems 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 itself handles it. The Jews know from their scriptures that the creation of a golem can only lead to destruction and ruin, for that is the very nature of the beast. However, in order to get money, success, and more games in their schedule, they choose to create this beast anyway, even if it leads people to hate the Stars of David even more and eventually breaks up their team . Although there are differences in the way Spiegelman and Sturm depict the characters in their graphic novels, the way the other characters in the graphic novels, the non-Jews, treat them is much the same. In Maus, Jews are excluded from society, persecuted for their beliefs, killed and tortured en masse, and stereotyped. The reader sees how Jews are separated from mainstream society as outcasts through propaganda and the establishment of ghettos. Sturm's characters are separated from society in the same way, but not entirely. Creating their own team of Jewish players sets them apart from other baseball programs acrossAmerica. Presumably, while Jews as individuals were accepted in various places (the Stars of David manager, the Lion of Zion, once played for the Red Sox), these players always stayed away from their beliefs. Even more so when they created a team composed entirely of Jews, where the public could group them as enemies, not only in the guise of an opposing team, but also as a danger to the community. 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 propaganda, emphasizing the danger these Jews supposedly pose to the community. Headlined “What’s at Stake,” the editorial went on to say: “There is a greater threat that Putnam All-Americans must overcome, the threat posed by Jews. These dirty ones, with long noses and thick lips; they do not represent America, nor baseball, but only themselves. They will suck the money out of this town and then they will 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 is angering the city and causing massive injustice around football. Before the match even begins, a player is beaten at the local bar by the opposing team, effectively knocking him out of the game. Sturm's portrayal of this character certainly emphasizes the victimized person, the disfigured and beaten body, the depressed look on the Jews' battered faces, and the indignation of the teammates is seen in the facial expressions as they tend to their brother (Sturm 141). The mob mentality of the crowd during the game may be linked to the mass acceptance of Hitler's persecution. The crowd even went so far as to injure a player who was chasing a ball in the stands; pulling him off, ripping 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 the entire crowd back 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 character. In the scene inside the dugout, the reader can see how Sturm's work sets the tone for the atmosphere and evokes a religious feeling in the reader. Here we see the Lion of Zion; with his head bowed, praying to God that he and his brothers could leave the city with their lives intact. The soft lighting of the scenes contrasts with the dark-bearded figures, making him seem like a Messiah figure, particularly in the fourth panel where the artist leaves out the background entirely. The white negative space highlights Jesus' gaze from the Lion of Zion, almost creating a light surrounding him, similar to a halo (Sturm 171). The scene is tense as they pray for safety, but on the next page, a massive rainstorm that cancels the game seems to be their salvation. A heartbreaking dramatic scene is driven by the assumption that God answered their prayers and saved them. This scene is radically similar to the depiction of the characters in Maus, regarding their religion. Faced with extreme situations: starvation, going underground to save their lives, or the incredibly harsh and horrific environments of concentration camps, Jews cling to their religion and turn to God for help. Through their trials and tribulations, the Jewish people.1/12/)