Wacky Writers

At first glance, Maus and The Things They Carried contain an obvious crossover in the affects that war has on an individual. However, beyond being stories that contain the subject of war. Both novels contain a narrator that uses writing as a channel to release stress and confusion regarding their identity and place in the world. One of the most interesting features of Maus is the multi point narration that the story is told from. The graphic novel frequently breaks down the third wall, as the writer's process of writing the story is included in the graphic novel itself. More importantly, this allows the reader to see the true intentions and struggles that the author goes through, dealing with family members affected in the holocaust. The Things They Carried does something similar to this, where the narrator acknowledges that the story is a novel, and comments on writing as an avenue for coping with post war situations.