Irony In Maus By Art Spiegelman

Maus by Art Spiegelman is not only a graphic novel demonstrating the negative effects of the Holocaust, but it is also a narrative that illustrates the personalities of the characters. Through a storytelling technique, various themes appear such as betrayal within the same race, dominance over others, suicide, and most importantly irony. The meaning of irony throughout Maus directly relates to absurdity, there is absurdity in all ironic occurrences throughout the book, the death of Anja’s wealthy parents, the death of Richieu, Anja’s suicide, Vladek’s dictator qualities, the burning of Anja’s diaries, the betrayal of Jews and finally the irony of war.

It is apparent that it didn’t matter whether you were a person of wealth or someone with

absolutely no money, according to the Nazis if you were a Jew you were considered scum such as Anja’s parents. Before the war the Zylberbergs were both wealthy and powerful, they owned one of the biggest hosiery factories in Poland. Their wealth and power allowed them to live a decent life after the war began. Compared to other Jews in the streets; the Zylberbegs were living like royalty. Their connections allowed them to obtain priority work cards preventing them from being taken to Auschwitz. Family connections gave them the ability to pass registration and remain in Sosnowiec. Even after their home and most of their possessions were taken from them the few scraps of jewelry they still had they traded in return for food, favors and other resources needed to survive. Despite all their wealth, power and connections the Zylberbergs didn’t survive the Holocaust. As Adolf Hitler points out, “ the Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they were not human.”(4) The Zylberbergs died not because they were poor nor rich, they because they were Jewish.
One of the most preventable and absurd occurrence of irony in Maus was Richieu being sent to live with his relatives to survive the war only to die by the hands of those same relatives. It was a year before Anja and Vladek decided that they should send Richieu off with her sister that, Ilzecki offered to send Richieu with his Polish friend . Throughout the German occupation, it was common that many Poles – at great risk to themselves and their families –began rescuing Jews from the Nazis. Poles represent the biggest number of people who rescued Jews during the Holocaust. At the time to Anja and her parents it sounded like an absurd idea to send Richieu off with Ilzecki’s polish friend, “How can you even think of giving up Richieu to complete strangers?!” “What? Have you gone crazy?”(81) Because the war was still developing, and everybody thought it would end in an instant. Vladek later informs us “Ilzecki and his wife didn’t come out from the war... But his son remained alive; ours did not.” (81). The war wasn’t going to end anytime soon, and one year later they’d be forced to send Richieu off with Anja’s sister and her children. Richieu died at the hands of Tosha, “ NO! I won’t go to their gas chambers! And My CHILDREN won’t go to their gas chambers.”(109) Tosha then poisoned not only herself but also the three children. Not sending Richieu with Ilzecki’s polish friend was unreasonable, and something Vladek deeply regretted, a great tragedy among tragedies.
Anja survived one of the most tragic, catastrophic and deadly events in history only to later on commit suicide. Throughout the war, Anja was faced with many challenges that in order to survive she had to overcome. Anja lived a luxurious life before the war. She had a husband, son and a great lifestyle compared to most Jews. No longer being able to have her wealthy and luxurious commodities soon after the war began Anja had a difficult time changing her way of living. Because her family was Jewish, they were limited with the amount of food coupons they received (a couple of ounces of bread a day and a bit of margarine, very little sugar and jam per week). Next she had to deal with the horrible fact that her husband was being sent off to fight in the war. Vladek explains to us, “We were very happy, still, for over a year – until August 24, 1939. ‘A letter – from the government.’ A draft notice! I was in this polish reserves army, and so I had to go right away!” (38) The uncertainty, anxiety and fear of the well being of her husband and father to her child was torturous at times. The biggest obstacle would have to be giving up Richieu to live with her sister in belief he would survive the war. Sadly Nazis were wiping out the town of Zawiercie and Tosha would rather poison herself and the children instead of being sent to the gas chambers. One can feel the pain and suffering of Anja, as Hilary Chute explains, “Spiegelman captures the hyper intensity of the Holocaust because he depicts what was all too real, however unbelievable, in a tightly controlled and brutally stark manner” (201) indeed the struggles of Anja are just too real. Despite her struggles throughout the war, Anja survived and overcame them all. Anja’s death was absurd because she was given a second chance; she survived a mass killing of Jews during the war only to reject her second chance at life.
It is ironic how Vladek possesses a commanding characteristic because, he had been oppressed so brutally himself. The Germans treated the Jew prisoners brutally because they felt that they were superior towards this race. As prisoners of war, the Jews were placed in concentration camps, where they were forced to work for hours without stopping. Vladek explains “Another German took 4 or 5 from us to a stable. ‘See this mess? It better be spotlessly clean in one hour. Understand?!’ It was impossible to do it one hour.” (52) The Germans purposely give the prisoners little time to complete the work and made it nearly impossible. If Vladek had experienced such torture. It is ironic when he acts assertive towards others, because he was treated as such by the Germans. Vladek’s pessimistic and wretched personality has caused for the relationship between Artie and Mala to become unpleasant. For example, Vladek says “You’re late! … But now is dark out! I wanted you would climb the roof – It’s a leak in the drain pipe. Ach!” (73) Artie suggests hiring a handyman to fix the roof instead of fixing it himself aggravates Vladek. The dominance that Vladek demonstrates makes it harder for Artie to be able to communicate and have a relationship with his father. Vladek is also constantly ordering, arguing and criticizing Mala for her actions, accusing her that the only reason she is with him is because she wants his money. It is obvious that Vladek and Mala don’t get along, “Acch, Mala! A wire hanger you give him! I haven’t seen Artie in almost two years – We have plenty wooden hangers.” (11) It didn’t matter if Mala would have given Artie a wire or wooden hanger, Vladek just wanted to show that he was superior and in charge of the household.
The irony of Anja’s diaries is not only by whom they were destroyed but as well as how they were destroyed .

Before the war started Anja wrote in her diary. All throughout the Holocaust she wrote about her feelings and emotions. She also recorded her hardships and experiences through the Holocaust. The love Vladek felt for Anja was strong, throughout the Holocaust he did everything possible in order for her to survive. Vladek constantly encouraged Anja to make an effort to survive,” NO, darling! To die, it’s easy… But you have to struggle for life! Until the last moment we must struggle together! I need you! And you’ll see that together we’ll survive” (122) one can feel the immense love Vladek felt for Anja. But as Spiegelman explains Vladek’s love for Anja would prompt him to burn the diaries. As Alison Mandaville explains, “The growth of the memory culture may, indeed be a symptom of a need for inclusion in a collective membrane forged by a shared inheritance of a persistent and traumatic past” (217) suggesting that the memories of Anja that Vladek had were joyful and peaceful and he would do anything to preserve those memories. But it is once he reads the diaries and realizes that she was depressed and suicidal that he cannot bear to have the diaries and thus burns them. The absurd irony is that Vladek did whatever to save and protect Anja, but he would later become the murderer of her

memories.
It is also ironic when many of the Jews go against their races, knowing that the Germans were going after them. The Germans maliciously treated the Jews by placing them in POWS also known as concentration camps, brutally beating them to death, humiliating them, burning their synagogues and pushing them out of their towns. Later on they were relocated into empty premises, which were known as ghettos and then taken to gas chambers (Auschwitz Camp), where they were executed by the Nazis. Since the majority of the Germans were basically against all Jews, it is ironic to hear that a Jew, such as the one shown in page 113, snitches on Vladek’s family and his friends, in order to help the German secret police. Vladek explains to us what happens afterward and says, “In the morning we gave a little food to him and let him go to his family … The Gestapo came that afternoon… they took us to a building in a part of Srodula by wires- a ghetto inside a ghetto –there we had to sit and to wait.” (113) Later on in the comic, we learn that karma comes around; the snitcher was murdered by the Germans by a gunshot. Another situation that was ironic was when Anja’s father accepted the German’s offer of selling his furniture to them. After obtaining the furniture, the Germans obviously pay Anja’s father and warned him, “Please. If you want to stay alive, go back inside.” (79) Knowing that the Germans were racist against the Jews, I thought his actions were a bit foolish. In the end, it didn’t matter if he lost his furniture or not, because they were taken away from their homes.
Lastly, while there are many instances of irony throughout Maus the overall irony is the irony of war. During WWII, over two-thirds of the entire Jewish population in Europe were murdered solely based on their religious preference. Among them were 6,000,000 men, women, and children. Camps were made merely to torture, experiment and kill prisoners. Life was miserable, and deaths were frequent. All the destruction and all the war was considered a means to peace. According to Joshua Charlson, "war is peace, freedom is slavery, and ignorance is strength” (115). Through a storytelling technique Spiegelman define absurd irony throughout the book, the death of Anja’s wealthy parents, the death of Richieu, Anja’s suicide, Vladek’s dictator qualities, the burning of Anja’s diaries, the betrayal of Jews and finally the irony of war.