Question

What does Art Spiegelman’s choice in portraying the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats in Maus reveal about his point of view?
He sees the Jews as the innocent prey and the Nazis as the cunning predators.
He feels that people with similar nationalities can be depicted by the same animal species.
He thinks that animal characters will lessen the emotional charge of the narrative.
He hopes to gain empathy for the Jews who were forced to turn on each other to survive.

Answer 1

He sees the Jews as the innocent prey and the Nazis as the cunning predators.

Spiegelman’s mice/cats choice emphasizes the predator–prey power dynamic and the Nazis’ dehumanizing, predatory treatment of Jews, as well as the imposed stereotypes that made such persecution seem "natural."