Effects Of Trauma On Maus

Physical wounds can often heal, but psychological wounds will scar the brain and thus the pain from the trauma can last a lifetime. Trauma, from war, can change the way a person thinks and functions, resulting in a myriad of personality disorders, specifically, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depression. The Holocaust survivors were victims long after the war ended and suffered the long-term effects, this trauma from Auschwitz also had a secondary effect on the generations to come. Maus is a prime example of how our present is the result of our past and how our experiences can shape and redefine who we are.

Vladek:

Vladek is a Holocaust survivor, who shares his haunting story of Nazi, Germany

These were the prominent qualities that attracted Vladek to her despite the fact that she was plain looking. Tragically, Anja’s spirit was crushed and she became a different person as result of all the pain she endured. Anja’s pain threshold could not bear up under all the losses in her life from the war including her son Richieu. Thus, causing her to become an insecure and needy person that could no longer make proper decisions or consider the collateral damage that her suicide would cause her family. At first glance, Anja’s act of suicide could be seen as selfish, although this would not describe her character prior to the war. The familiar theme of depression starts early on, when we hear about Anja's suffering from postpartum depression after she gave birth to Richieu. This depression only escalated to the point of no return and Anja eventually took her own life. Anja’s legacy left Vladek and Artie with many more broken pieces in their lives. Vladek and Artie demonstrated very different coping styles as Vladek destroyed the evidence by burning Anja’s diaries, whereas Artie’s response was cathartic and he poured out his pain and anger on the pages of his comic “Prisoner on Hell Planet”. The war had taken its toll on Anja’s confidence, she became an insecure person. Artie described her love as suffocating and emotionally draining, which is

Maus illustrates how people struggled long after the war was over and the different personality disorders that were a result of their experience. The suffering was so great that in Anja’s case she tragically resorted to suicide. In order for a person to heal they must find deeper meaning and a peace in their soul that transcends the pain. Artie’s approach to healing has helped him to find meaning and purpose by writing his father’s story in the now famous book Maus. He is educating people on the dangerous mindset of anti-Semitism that caused the Nazi regime, lest it be