Free Weekly Discussion – Mouse – Masks And Identity Essay Example

“Time flies” is written on the very title of the page. Art, the author himself, is wearing a mask of a mouse as if drawing an association between himself and the characters of his book. I believe that the mouse mask is chosen intentionally and worn voluntarily; it hides authors’ true identity which we never get to see, while adjusting him to the society he exists in, and to a certain circumstances of his presence. Perhaps, he wants to be accepted and he is aware of the role he has to play.
In my opinion Art Soiegelman is wearing his mask, because he wants to be considered as one of those, who were suffering from cats’ invasion within his own story. As if somebody or something actually tortures him in a similar way. The writers’ character can be characterized as neurotic and sometimes obsessive; meanwhile, we can describe him as an angry egocentric, who is full of self-pity and is even looking for a psychiatric help. In his monologue we can see the random change of the subjects, the so-called flow of contrasting with each other thoughts: Art is talking about his mothers’ suicide, his fathers’ death, the great success of his book, and that he is feeling depressed. Maybe, the mask is a better version of him that he is able to offer due to his emotional condition, maybe, he finds it nicer than his true identity.
The last picture shows a complete scene: the writer is sitting on top of the pile of mice’s corps, flies are flying everywhere, and suddenly somebody informs Art, that they are ready to shoot. On a first sight the movie could be considered, but the author is sitting right on the top of the pile. He is the one going to be shot. As if he was allowed to finish his work, and even though it had been spoken about all over the world, he felt like making this sacrifice and belong with other mice. He can take off the mask, show his identity and avoid being killed, but the mask is on.
I think that one more mask is present on the page. The “Flies” mask is put on Time. Time is also a character, and it is hiding its’ identity of being a putrescent pale of useless bodies with flies. Nothing is said without a purpose, and the wording game makes sense: time will never stop, and no matter how fast it flies, it will always result into Death. Death is a true nature of Time.