Essay Question

Vladek and Anja Spiegelman were survivors of the holocaust. They were both able to brave the harsh conditions of Auschwitz and the other acts of brutality employed by the Nazi regime in World War II. However, they both experienced some losses and acquired mental and physical scars because of their survival that they would carry with them until their respective deaths. Vladek Spiegelman became a frugal hoarder who is quick to distrust people and is generally not a pleasant man to be around. Vladek most likely suffers from post-traumatic stress because of his survival, which is probably what dictates his unpleasant behavior and skepticism. Anja Spiegelman was able to survive too, but at a high mental cost. She eventually ended up committing suicide, most likely in order to escape the horrors that she had faced. Where Vladek and Anja Spiegelman differ is how they were able to survive based on the way they were able to cope with situations and problems by utilizing different strategies, and the way in which they were successful in the end.

Starting with Vladek, he survived the holocaust through a variety of factors. In essence, what really helped him survive were a mixture of hoarding, resourcefulness, intelligence, and a large dose of luck. Vladek’s struggles throughout his life include: dealing with his wife Anja’s postpartum depression, the destruction of his textile factory, surviving as a POW in the Polish army, the death of his first son, the holocaust itself, relating to his son and other people, diabetes, heart problems, the death of his wife, and modernizing in the wake of the holocaust.

Vladek is a survivor because he was persistent and never gave up. The love of his wife Anja was probably a good motivation for him to do w...

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... safe. Anja replies to this with “I’ll never give up my baby. Never!” This shows the attachment that Anja places on her son, which only makes her suffer more when Richieu eventually dies. After Anja hears about the death of her parents, most of her family, and Richieu, she becomes hysterical and yells “oh god. Let me die too!” It is not until Vladek consoles her and tells her to struggle for life that she can face her problems with renewed strength, because she still has Vladek in her life.

While Anja and Vladek are avoiding the Gestapo, Anja faces another challenge because she looks more Jewish than Vladek, which increases her risk of persecution. As she is walking through a courtyard, a woman screams “Jewess” and points at Anja while calling for the police. Even though she escaped, this shows how much harder it was for Anja to avoid detection during the holocaust.