Maus I

Why does Vladek throw away Art's coat? What would you have done if you were Art?

He threw it out because he thought it was shabby and it was a shame that his son would be seen in it.

What happens after Vladek and Anja return from Czechoslovakia? What are they afraid of?

After Vladek and Anja get back from Czechoslovakia, Valadk finds out that his facther had been robbed. They were afraid of more robberies and riots that were becoming more and more frequent.

On page 31, Vladek says that he left Anja and their new baby to go to Bielsko to run his new factory and find an apartment for them to live in. How does Anja respond? Have you or members of your family ever had to separate in order to start a new job or a new life? How did it feel for the people who moved on? How did it feel for the people who were left behind?

Anja became depressed. She did not care about anything and did not want to live. My family and I have never been apart for an extended period of time.

What kind of relationship does Art Spiegelman and his father Vladek have? Use specific pictures and text to support your answer.

Art and Vladek have quite an odd relationship. Even though their attitudes clash, Vladek clearly wants the best for his son and wants him to succeed in life. This is clearly demonstrated on page 13 when Vladek says to his wife, "A wire hanger you give him! I haven't seen Artie in almost two years - We have plenty Wooden hangers." In this scene, Vladek shows that he cares about his son. Also, on page 14, the reader can distinctly see that Vladek wants to please his son. When Art asks to write a book about him he says, "Better you should spend your time to make drawings what will bring you some money.. But, if you want, I can tell you..."

What happens to Vladek's father while Vladek was away? How does Vladek's father feel?

He is beaten and humiliated by German soldiers who also cut off his beard. He feels upset.

What does Vladek mean on page 50 when he says, "Well at least I did something." Do you believe that he is justified in feeling this way?

He is saying that at least he made some effort in the fight to hold back the Nazis. He can rightly feel this way because they were attacking him and his fellow troops.

How does Vladek's father try to keep him out of the army? Was he successful? Do you think Vladek's father made a smart decision? Explain.

He purposefully starved him and kept him deprived of sleep so that he would fail his army physical and not have to join along with the rest of the boys his age. It worked but the army told him to exercise and come back in a year. I think he made a smart decision because he knew of the physical and emotional horror of war and wanted to spare his son.

Why doesn't Vladek get off the train in Sosnowwiec? How does he end up in the city of Lublin? How does he eventually get to Sosnowwiec?

The train didn't stop in Sosnowwiec, it drove right past it. In Lublin they unloaded everyone from the train. He got back to Sosnowwiec by boarding a train and pretending to be Polish. The Polish train man hid him when they came through checking for papers.

When do Vladek and Anja realize that the war is coming? How do they know? Use specific pictures and text to support your answer.

They realized war was coming when they received a letter from the government. It was outlining the fact that Vladek was to be a Polish Reserves Army. This is all evident on page 40 in the second and third frame where Vladek says '...I was in the Polish Reserves Army...everyone knew it would be now a war.'

Why doesn't Vladek tell the doctor in the hospital about his galss eye? What does this say about Vladek's character?

Vladek didn't tell the doctor about his glass eye because he didn't want to make him feel embarrassed. This tells a lot about his character and how kind hearted he is.

On page 43, Vladek tells Art that he must finish the food on his plate during dinner. Why is Vladek so insistent?

Vladek is obsessed with Art finishing everything on his plate, just as he was when Art was a boy. He remembers starving and doesn't want his son to be wasteful of food.

Why does Vladek ask Art not to write about Lucia in his book? Why doesn't Art listen to his father? Do you think it is right for Art to break his promise?

Vladek is old-fashioned and so he did the chivalrous thing and asked Art not to write about Lucia because he didn't have her permission and he wanted to be respectful. I don't know if it was right for Art to break his promise, but I think that Art chose to write about her so that he could include an accurate portrayal of his father's character. Much like how later in the book when Art included the racist comments Vladek made about dark-skinned people.

Why does Art Spiegelman use mice instead of people to portray the characters in the story? What do the mice represent?

He uses mice because the Nazi considered Jewish people vermin. The mice represent the Jewish characters.

Why does Vladek choose Anja over Lucia? What do you think of his choice?

I think that even though Vladek may have chosen money over beauty, he also chose Anja because he said that she was interesting to talk to and that she had the most beautiful literature. She would write him letters that were in lovely Polish. He says, "And then she started writing to me such beautiful letters - Almost nobody could write Polish like she wrote."

On Page 11, Spiegelman tells us that his farther's second wife Mala was a survivor too, like most of his parents' friends. Why does Spiegelman call Mala a survivor? What does he mean?

Mala was a survivor of World War II, specifically The Holocaust, as she is a Jewish German. I think that Vladek was implying that Mala was a very strong character and that she was tough.

Why does Ms. Stefanska go to jail? What role did Anja play in Ms. Stefanska's going to jail?

Ms. Stefanska went to jail because she was in possession of some illegal documents about communists that were not supposed to be held. Anja had these in the first place but when she found out the police were coming she asked her Ms. Stefanska to hide them and the police found them.

How does Vladek survive the work camp? What motivated him?

Vladek survives the work camp by doing his work and staying motivated. He was motivated by a dream of his Grandfather telling him that they would be rescued on Parshas Trauma.

How are the Jewish prisoners of war treated? Do they live under the same conditions as the other prisoners? Explain.

The Jewish prisoners are treated terribly. They live in conditions much worse than others. Some live in heated cabins while the Jewish prisoners live in tents; some eat two meals a day but the jews only get a crust of bread and a little soup.

Why is the chapter called "The SheiK"?

The chapter is called The Sheik because the whole chapter is about when Vladek was a young man and he says that he was very handsome. In the background at the start of the chapter, there is an image of the movie poster of The Sheik. He said that he looked like Rudolph Valentino, so it was only appropriate that it was called The Sheik because Rudolph was the leading man in that movie.

Why does Vladek consider taking Anja and Richieu to the town of Sosnowiec? Do they eventually go to Sosnowiec? Where does Vladek go?

Yes, Anja and Richieu do go to Sosnowiec because of the war and the fact that Vladek was sent to the frontier against Germany.