Vladek's Relationship In Maus By Art Spiegelman

Between 1933 and 1945, more than 11 million men, women, and children were murdered in the Holocaust. Approximately six million of these were Jews. In the graphic novel Maus written by Art Spiegelman, Vladek was one of the fortunate ones that survives. He tells his survival story of the Holocaust to his son, Artie. Throughout the story the author reveals how the hardships of the Holocaust affects Vladek’s relationship with Artie and his second wife, Mala. The novel displays how Vladek still absorbs the ideas from his past. He developed the traits distrustful and hoarder from the detrimental war which caused chaos in the Spiegelman family.

One of the big conflicts that Vladek encountered was distrust and betrayal. When Vladek heard that the

Germans started to grab anybody; correspondingly, he made a hiding place for his family to survive. “The Gestapo came that afternoon. They took us to a building in a part of Strodula separated by wires—a ghetto inside the ghetto—and there we had to sit and to wait.” A stranger prowling around for food found the Spiegelman’s hideout and was sent away believed by Vladek that he would not expose their safe house. The Jew that found the hideout could have been spotted by a German; moreover, he would inform the Germans where the hideaway is hoping to be on the Gestapo’s good side. The Germans often manipulate the Jews to get what they want from them and then toss them away. This event allowed Vladek to uncover the disloyalty of others, and soon after that he buried traitor. Later on in the story, when the war was soon to be over, the Jews were marching to a new area. Some of the Jews made a deal with the Gestapo. “Share this gold with the guards in front and behind. Just don't shoot when we run…We’ll give you the signal late to night, and shoot over your heads.” Vladek suspected that the Gestapo will not do this. He stated “Ach. How can you trust the Germans?!” The Germans did exactly what Vladek believed, they killed the Jews that ran. At the end of the war it is shown Vladek does not have trust in anybody. The people who are suffering with him don’t unite. While the Gestapos show a cold heart. It was a duration where every man are for themselves.
Consequently, Mala and Vladek do not have a healthy relationship. There are many arguments, and they dislike each other. This is due to the death of Anja. During the Holocaust Anja and Vladek stuck together throughout the war and made it at the end. “I couldn’t find more my friend and my luggage. I had only thin shirt and my water. But I went only straight to Poland. It took 3 or 4 weeks.” One of Vladek’s motivation was surviving and seeing Anja. Vladek is portrayed as strong, determined, and intelligent. He counted to push forward, especially when times were persistently difficult. The reason the relationship between Anja and Vladek was well, was because of trust. Surviving the Holocaust put confidence in each other to keep one another safe, physically and emotionally. Artie explains to Vladek “He had aged a lot since I saw him last. My mother’s suicide and his two heart attacks had taken their toll.” Vladek lost the person he loved and trusted to stay with him through the end. Now that Anja left Vladek, it causes mistrust. This is a result of an imbalance relationship with Mala and Vladek’s relationship. It's exhausting to maintain a connection with consistent skepticism. Michael J Herbert once said “A relationship without trust is like a car without gas, you can stay in it all you want, but it won’t go anywhere.”
Furthermore, Vladek's trust issues makes his father and son relationship tough.

In the novel Artie knocks down his fathers pills and Vladek gets upset. Artie’s father yells "No! You don't know counting pills. I’ll do it after…I’m an expert for this.” Vladek doesn't even trust his son to count his pills. He is very careful with his health due to the doctors in the war. Sometimes the doctors did not take proper care of the Jews when they were examined; in addition, the Jews would die. With this in mind Vladek puts a toil on Artie and how they get along. Vladek often exasperates Artie with the thoughts that he still has from WWII that is told through the novel. Overall, Vladek’s trust issues affects his relationship.

In the same fashion, Vladek causes vexation for Mala and his son because of his collection of rubbish. Vladek’s obsessive hoarding is displayed throughout telling his experience. Vladek responds to Artie as they're walking “Telephone wire. This it’s very hard to find. Inside it’s little wires. It’s good for trying things.” During the war people constantly had to look for necessities during the war to help them somehow. There were little of everything, and Vladek always learned to save his items for later use that will benefit him. This conception that Vladek adapted to stays with him as the story is

told.
Vladek’s wife complains about his stockpile and other behaviors nonstop. Mala whines to Artie “He drives me crazy! He won’t even let me throw out the plastic pitcher he took from his hospital room last year!” There is no telling if Vladek reuses the items he collects; comparatively, Mala lives with all of his junk. She feels indifferent with the way Vladek is because she and others have survived the war just like Vladek and they do not act similar to Vladek. Mala gets frustrated with Vladek actions due to her misunderstanding. Vladek may have already had a hoarding problem and it increased due to the war. Hoarding is a disorder as a symptom of another disorder. Before the war started Lucia, an old friend of Vladek, comes over to his house and comments about how neat everything is. She suspects that he has a girlfriend who cleans for him. From the start it appears that Vladek keeps everything in order. He may have had OCD and after the war it now became a hoarding problem. Mala is unaware of this and is mercilessness which causes hostility between Vladek and his wife.
Equally Artie gets upset with Vladek and his actions.

Artie and his wife goes to the grocery store but both gets embarrassed quickly. “No way! I’m not going in to return a load of open boxes and partially eaten food.” Artie and Françoise are both feeling awkward in this situation and is stunned to think that Artie would exchange eaten food. They both fail to realize that Vladek's food supply was always limited. The Jews struggled for food each and everyday; correspondingly, Vladek is not going to be comfortable wasting food carelessly. Vladek was also always able to exchange food with what he wanted with the Jews eaten or not. He demonstrated that skill at the store and it's shown that he is still stuck in the war mindset. Artie's ignorance and Vladek's behaviors result in struggling for a connection. From the start Artie tells the reader “I went out to see my father in Rego Park. I hadn’t seen him in a long time—we weren’t that close.” Artie comes and sees his father so he can write his novel. Throughout the book it is showcased that Artie mostly cares about his father experiences and nothing else. The lack of interest in his fathers life is also a result of why Artie and Vladek do not get along. Artie can’t tell that his fathers actions are from his past

experiences.
Ultimately, Vladek's adapted behaviors from the war makes his relationship with Mala and Artie tough. The trust issues that Vladek have stemmed from Anja’s death and the betrayal from Jews and Gestapos in the war. The pile of unnecessary goods that Vladek feels the need to have also came from the war. It gives a better understanding, shows the consequences of the war, distrust and acclimating items and the impacts it has on other people. Art Spiegelman showcases and many other aspects.