Maus Vladek Analysis

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The Stanley Milgram Experiment is reflected in "Maus" when Vladek is compelled to fight for Poland during the war. The Milgram experiment involved a "learner," "teacher," and "researcher." The researcher and the learner were actors, while the teacher was a random participant. This experiment showed that ordinary people would follow orders, even to the point of harming others, when instructed by an authority figure (Mcleod). In chapter three of "Maus," Vladek is forced to go to war and kill for Poland. He recalls, “I thought I saw a body over by the river. I knew where the one I shot should be lying” (Spiegelman 50). Much like the Milgram experiment, where participants obeyed authority figures, Vladek often had to follow harmful orders due to …show more content…

The Stanford Prison Experiment involved college students assigned roles as either prisoners or guards. It concluded that situational factors and assigned roles could drastically influence behavior, leading to abusive or submissive actions. Throughout the book, Vladek encounters various Nazis who either help or harm him. In chapter three, he is shot at simply for stepping outside at night to use the bathroom. He recounts, “That night I went out of the tent, I had to urinate. And a guard began shooting at me” (Spiegelman, 62). In contrast, in chapter five, a guard shows him kindness, saying, “Ah. I see you’re a member of the illustrious Spiegelman family.go on your way then, and give Haskel my regards” (Spiegelman 118). These encounters highlight the variability in how authority is exercised. Some guards exploited their power to brutalize Jews, while others showed leniency. These situations illustrate how the power dynamics influence behaviors, shaped by individual personalities and extreme conditions. The concept from "A Class Divided" is mirrored in "Maus" when Polish children recognize Vladek as a Jew and react with

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