The work skillfully utilizes a graphic novel format of illustrated panels accompanied by narration and dialogue in a complex and richly nuanced story. The plot recounts Vladek's experiences in Auschwitz, a Nazi concentration camp, and the difficult interpersonal dynamics that can manifest between Holocaust survivors and their children. Spiegelman uniquely portrays his father's story as an epic parable of the Holocaust, representing the Jewish characters as mice and the Nazi characters as cats. Through Spiegelman's innovative use of the comic book medium, Maus puts into question traditional notions of history, memory, and narrative, offering a fresh perspective on the legacy of the Holocaust. Spiegelman was awarded a special Pulitzer Prize in 1992, acknowledging his achievement with Maus.