The Art Of Survival In Maus By Art Spiegelman

825 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effects of the Holocaust on survivors

David Cash
Professor Yezbick
World Masterpieces 2
4/29/2014
The Art of Survival
In Art Spiegelman’s comic book, Maus, the reader begins to question and is left to determine if the true definition of survival is based on an act of will, simply mere chance, or dependent upon both. One of the main characters, Vladek, had physically survived the atrocities of the holocaust, but the lingering effect it had on his mental state disputes whether or not he truly survived. The second main character, Art, was forced to care for his father, that caused him mental anguish but his determination developed into a different type of survival. In this comic book, survival is not solely defined by achieving existence after a tragic event, but by the continuation of a mentally fulfilling life.
Throughout the story, there are several instances of Vladek’s strong will to survive. He was fueled by his opportunist personality that provided him with the determination to overcome the circumstances he endured on a daily basis. His opportunist personality and resourcefulness worked for him and against him. Vladek, speaking to his wife Anja after the discovery of the death of their son, replies that “to die, it’s easy but you have to struggle for life. Until the last moment we must struggle together” (122). After the death march, Vladek and many other Jewish people were herded into trains. The remainder of the Jewish people in captivity were placed on these trains and were scheduled to return to Germany to be put to death. During this train ride, Vladek had managed to survive by rigging a hammock to the ceiling so he could grab snow off the roof to eat. Many of the Jewish people had died on the trains, but not Vladek. Even in the darkness of the train he m...

... middle of paper ...

... mental state displays that he may not have completely survived the holocaust. On the other hand, Art is also struggling to maintain a state of mental stability. The holocaust resulted in the death of his mother, and the lack of a father figure. He had managed to mentally survive the holocaust, without physically being affected by it. This sends a message that survival is not solely defined by existence after a traumatic event, it is also defined by mental stability after a traumatic event.

References
Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. New York: Pantheon, 1986. Print.
Spiegelman, Art. MAUS: A Survivor's Tale, II: And Here My Troubles Began. New York: Pantheon, 1991. Print.
"Holocaust Encyclopedia." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Vladek’s Intelligence and How he Survived the Holocaust

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    Possessing intelligence was vital for Vladek, since every move he took would mean life or death. Vladek knew if he wanted to survive in the concentration camps, he must make clever actions and have inside information on what the Nazis were planning. Since Vladek knew English, he started teaching it to a Nazi who worked at his concentration camp and befriended him. His Nazi friend informed Vladek on what was going to happen to the Jews, and how he could survive. Vladek’s intelligence is the main reason he survived throughout the Holocaust, and his intelligence also saved the life of his wife.

    Read More

  • I Never Saw Another Butterfly Vs Night Essay

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    Imagine being trapped in a ghetto, seeing communities leaving in trains, families being split up, never to see each other again.. The emotions that each and every Holocaust survivor must’ve gone through is overwhelming. Some things that are taken for granted, will never be seen again. While reading the two texts, Night by Elie Wiesel and “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” by Pavel Friedman, The two predominant emotions that prevailed most to Holocaust victims and survivors were hope and fear.

    Read More

  • Maus Two by Art Spiegelman

    444 Words  | 1 Pages

    Art Spiegelman's Maus II is a book that tells more than the story of one family's struggle to live thought the Holocaust. It gives us a look into the psyche of a survivor's child and how the Holocaust affected him and many other generations of people who were never there at all. Maus II gives the reader a peek into the psyche of Art Spiegelman and the affects of having two parents that survived the Holocaust had on him. Spiegelman demonstrates the affects of being a survivor's child in many ways throughout the book. Examining some of these will give us a better understanding of what it was like to be a part of the Holocaust.

    Read More

  • The Aftermath of the Holocaust in Art Spiegelman’s Maus Volumes I and II

    1130 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vladek’s controlling ways leads him to invent a life that he never had. Vladek wields his reality by reinventing his past life. When Vladek tells Art about his marriage to Anja, he portrays his marriage like a fairy tale. Vladek says, “We were both very happy, and lived happy, happy ever after” (Spiegelman 2:136). He reinvents his past life after the end of the Holocaust as free of woe. Correspondingly, he loses himself...

    Read More

  • Comparison between Maus & Anne Frank

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    What if you were a holocaust survivor and asked to describe your catastrophic experience? What part of the event would you begin with, the struggle, the death of innocent Jews, or the cruel witnessed? When survivors are questioned about their experience they shiver from head to toe, recalling what they have been through. Therefore, they use substitutes such as books and diaries to expose these catastrophic events internationally. Books such as Maus, A survivor’s tale by Art Spiegelman, and Anne Frank by Ann Kramer. Spiegelman presents Maus in a comical format; he integrated the significance of Holocaust while maintaining the comic frame structure format, whereas comic books are theoretically supposed to be entertaining. Also, Maus uses a brilliant technique of integrating real life people as animal figures in the book. Individually, both stories involve conflicts among relationships with parents. Furthermore, Maus jumps back and forth in time. Although, Anne Frank by Ann Kramer, uses a completely different technique. Comparatively, both the books have a lot in common, but each book has their own distinctive alterations.

    Read More

  • Art Spiegelman's Maus - Prisoner on the Hell Planet - A Case History

    1766 Words  | 4 Pages

    Art Spiegleman's comic book within the comic book Maus is titled "Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History." This text within a text describes, in horrific detail through pictures, Artie's failed effort to get through the painful loss of his mother due to suicide. This text also in a way, represents a part of Artie's mind where he expresses his feelings of loneliness, doubt, fear, anger, and blame through the form of a dark, gloomy, depressing cartoon.

    Read More

  • The impact of survivor’s guilt in Art Spiegelman’s Maus

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    The comic implies that surviving the holocaust affects Vladek’s life and wrecks his relationship with his son and his wife. In some parts of the story, Vladek rides a stationary bike while narrating his story (I, 81, panel 7-9). Given the fact that it is a stationary bike, it stays immobile: no matter how hard Vladek pedals, he cannot move forward. The immobility of the bike symbolizes how survivor’s guilt will never let him escape his past. Vladek can never really move past the holocaust: he cannot even fall asleep without shouting from the nightmares (II, 74, panel 4-5). Moreover, throughout the story, the two narrators depict Vladek before, during and after the war. Before the war, Vladek is characterized as a pragmatic and resourceful man. He is resourceful as he is able to continue his black business and make money even under the strengthened control of the Nazi right before the war (I, 77 panel 1-7). However, after surviving the holocaust, Vladek feels an obligation to prove to himself and to others that his survival was not simply by mere luck, but because h...

    Read More

  • The Use Of Humor In Art Spiegelman's Maus

    1269 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Art Spiegelman’s Maus, the audience is led through a very emotional story of a Holocaust survivor’s life and the present day consequences that the event has placed on his relationship with the author, who is his son, and his wife. Throughout this novel, the audience constantly is reminded of how horrific the Holocaust was to the Jewish people. Nevertheless, the novel finds very effective ways to insert forms of humor in the inner story and outer story of Maus. Although the Holocaust has a heart wrenching effect on the novel as a whole, the effective use of humor allows for the story to become slightly less severe and a more tolerable read.

    Read More

  • The Comic Format of Spiegelman's Books Maus I and Maus II

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    The books Maus I and Maus II, written by Art Spiegelman over a thirteen-year period from 1978-1991, are books that on the surface are written about the Holocaust. The books specifically relate to the author’s father’s experiences pre and post-war as well as his experiences in Auschwitz. The book also explores the author’s very complex relationship between himself and his father, and how the Holocaust further complicates this relationship. On a deeper level the book also dances around the idea of victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. The two books are presented in a very interesting way; they are shown in comic form, which provides the ability for Spiegelman to incorporate numerous ideas and complexities to his work.

    Read More

  • The Battle of France

    2520 Words  | 6 Pages

    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “The Holocaust.” Holocaust Encyclopedia, last modified June 10, 2013, http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005425.

    Read More

  • Maus Text Response

    1362 Words  | 3 Pages

    The shift between the past and present also allows us to compare how Vladek acted during the Holocaust and developed traits such as not throwing anything away and how these things became his weaknesses in this old age as he was considered miserly. The way Vladek’s strengths as a young man became his weaknesses as an old man is clearly displayed through the shifting timelines. The way Vladek survived the holocaust was from being resourceful and not wasting anything, especially food. This was shown more than one time, including when Art was over at Vladek’s place and Vladek was obsessed with Art finishing everything on his plate, as he knew what it felt like to be extremely hungry and did not like the idea of food being wasted. This trait, although extremely useful during the holocaust had become a weakness for Vladek as an old man as his obsession with not wasting anything annoyed everyone, particularly those close to him such as Mala and Art. It affected his relationship with Art and often resulted in conflicts. This is clearly displayed through the shift between past and

    Read More

  • Nazi Eugenics and Racial Hygiene

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 10 June 2013. Web. The Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • Analysis of The Complete Maus, by Art Spiegelman

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    When reading a traditional book, it is up to the reader to imagine the faces and landscapes that are described within. A well written story will describe the images clearly so that you can easily picture the details. In Art Spiegelman’s The Complete Maus, the use of the animals in place of the humans offers a rather comical view in its simplistic relation to the subject and at the same time develops a cryptic mood within the story. His drawings of living conditions in Auschwitz; expressions on the faces of people enduring torture, starvation, and despair; his experience with the mental institution and his mother’s suicide; and occasional snapshots of certain individuals, create a new dynamic between book and reader. By using the form of the graphic novel, Art Spiegelman created a narrative accompanied by pictures instead of needing to use immense worded detail.

    Read More

  • Survival In Maus II By Artie Spiegelman And Night

    1325 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing” -Unknown. Surviving without having something to value is like walking without legs; tough and grueling. In order to find success in survival during the Holocaust, valuing certain items is key to establishing major foundations to help increase the chance of living. In the Holocaust it is important to protect, care for, and utilize each item. Finding something value and cherish in every way possible is one of the best thing someone can do for not only themselves, but for others too. Creating a safe environment and securing everything of value is extremely important because without protecting the things that someone values most could potentially

    Read More

  • Elie Wiesel Essay On Madness

    2445 Words  | 5 Pages

    Paragraph 11 demonstrates this struggle. It portrays the survivor as being unresolved and confused. He is a survivor, but he is also a human being. Maybe he should stop mourning the past, go on with his life, and be genuinely happy. He, too, wants to celebrate the beauty of love and life. As human beings, we are usually drawn to success and personal achievements. Abraham Maslow, a great psychologist, calls this the need for self-actualization. Though being a survivor, Elie Wiesel felt the need to achieve his goals and realize his full potential without necessarily speaking the language of the night. Even with his writings, Wiesel attempted to explore other prospects like the Bible and the Talmud. “In my other books, I have tried to follow other roads. For it is dangerous to linger among the dead, they hold onto you, and you run the risk of speaking only them” (18). He was, probably, trying to run away from his memories. The survivor wishes he could leave the darkness and enter the light, but he is afraid he might be betraying the dead. There are times of doubt for the survivor, times when he has no idea about which path to take. Nevertheless, the survivor decides to remain loyal because he “…owes nothing to anyone, but everything to the death” (17). For them, he would, incessantly, keep

    Read More

More about The Art Of Survival In Maus By Art Spiegelman

Open Document