The reasons why Spiegelman drew mice as Jews.

Spiegelman portrays the Jews in "Maus" as mice because of Jews were thought to be, "vermin of mankind." This dehumanizing quote was one of the many important reasons why Spiegelman chose to depict Jews as mice. During the Holocaust Jews were emotionally smaller than the Germans and Polish. This mean the Jews were weaker and had a better chance on not surviving like mice. Once spotted they must be killed at once this is the similarity that is shared between the Jews and mice.  He wanted to equalize both the German and Jew's biological ways but not power. So that's why he made the cats the same size as the mice, he did this so the metaphor was not as noticeable. Dehumanization was a big part of helping Spiegelman's character development during the process of "Maus." He explains that in Auschwitz the Nazis used pesticide made to kill mice in the gas chambers. The ideas of Jews were toxic and many people beloved Jews carried diseases like mice. Those are the main points way Spiegelman chose to draw mice as Jews.