Authors often use literature as a way to capture the essence of society, creating microcosms through which the nature of trauma, memory and identity can be analyzed.
In Maus (1980-1991), Art Spiegelman portrays his father's experience of the Holocaust through reimagining interviews as an anthropomorphic graphic memoir. He analyses how trauma can permanently affect one's identity, even if one tries to erase their memories of it through the use of subtle dialogue and harrowing visuals.
Likewise, in Keiji Nakazawa's Barefoot Gen (1973-1987), graphic visuals and a strong anti-war message show how we need to withstand the trauma of war and continue to fight against it.
Though they both emerge from different historical and cultural contexts, both Spiegelman and Nakazawa use graphics novels as a microcosm of society to highlight the human suffering endured during war and encourage a voice of resistance against future conflicts.