The Last Page of Maus

In class I was suprised when we didn't really discuss the last page of the comic, as the last page of most literary works are very important in the context of the whole story. I thought this blog post would be a good opportunity to share my thoughts on the last page.


The ending of Maus fails to give closure, leaving numerous questions unanswered. The reason why Vladek calls Art Richieu is unknown and has many reasonable explanations. It could mean that Art hasn't lived up to the expectations that Richieu had left when he died, or that Vladek actually begins to accept Art as a son by allowing him to replace Richieu in his life. Alternatively, it could also mean that Vladek hasn't escaped the past and is still actively living in it. Or, most simply, it could just be a slip of tongue and indicate Vladek's advanced age and the memory loss he underwent.

The gravestone at the bottom of the page has the same effect. While it literally splits the last two panels, it also seems to wrap the whole story together, putting Vladek's and Anja's name next to each other, indicating that the couple "lived happy, happy ever after" (136). However, the conditions of death for both Vladek and Anja would seem to indicate an unhappy ending instead. This, perhaps, may be sending the message that the Holocaust never will have a "happy ending". Still, the tombstone adds to the confusion and lack of clarity presented by the last page.

The signature at the bottom of the page is a last word of sorts for Art Spiegelman. The fact that it is Art's signature rather than Vladek's implys that the story is now Art's, not Vladek's. Art has taken over the responsibility of the story and thus carries the guilt that comes with it. Alternatively, writing the story could also be a channel for Art to release his guilt, a catharsis of sorts. Even more, the date at next to Art's signature is 13 years, the age when a Jewish child to becomes a man. This suggests that Art finally became a man after writing the comic, as if writing this book ushered in a new and better age for Art.

The last page of Maus truly lacks the closure that so many other novels contain. Overall, the lack of closure suggests that, like this comic, the true stories of the Holocaust lack closure - nothing good came out of the Holocaust. The rare good from the Holocaust, under closer investigation, must have a larger negative that outweighs the positive.