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The word "sheik" in the Arab language can be translated to mean a man held masterful and irresistibly charming to women in slang terms.  The image depicts a female character clinging to the leg of a male character.  I can infer that the title and image foreshadows the experiences of an attractive man who deals with clingy partner/s. One event that occurred in Chapter 1 is the introduction of his mother who committed suicide.  This event is significant because the death of a loved one always plays a large role in shaping people's characters and beliefs.  Another event that occurred is the introduction of Lucia Greenberg.  She presents a conflict that almost ended the author's parents' relationship.  If they had not married, the whole story would be completely different.  Thirdly, Vladek and Anna were married.  The marriage is significant because the author is the son of the couple.  Another event that occurs in Chapter 1 is the letter written by Lucia to Anna.  This event is significant because it leads to the a short separation between Vladek and Anna who later reconcile and marry.  One final event that occurs is the break up between Vladek and Lucia which enables the relationship between Vladek and Anna to continue on. The irony in the conversation between Art and his father is that despite his father's wishes to not include his relationships with Lucia and Art's mother, Art includes them anyways. Also, Art says the stories make "everything more real - more human" (Spiegelman 23) which is ironic because they are not depicted as humans but as mice.

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The title "Honeymoon" might foreshadow Vladek's experiences after marriage to Anna.  The word "honeymoon" typically has a positive connotation; however, the title is followed by an image of Hitler's swastika perhaps foreshadowing the start of his regime.  One significant even of Chapter 2 is the arresting of the seamstress because Anna was suspected of translating German to Polish for the Communists and pushed the blame onto an innocent person.  This speaks to Anna's character.  Another event includes the founding of a textile factory in Bielsko by Vladek funded by his father-in-law.  Vladek worked away from home during the week and returned on the weekends.  This may be significant because it might be an indirectly serve as a way for Anna to continue working with the Communists.  Thirdly, Anna gave birth to two "premature" sons.  I include quotations because I am hesitant towards Anna's loyalty to Vladek because of herearlier infatuation with an ex-boyfriend of hers who she always visited.  Another significant event is the introduction of Anna's depression.  She is overwhelmed with grief and hysterical depression.  The event is significant because it gives insight into the reason behind Anna's suicide.  Finally, Art is called to the Polish Army to fight the incoming Nazi Army.  This solidified the previous talk of a war, the war was eminent and quickly approaching.  The Germans are portrayed by pigs and the Polish people are portrayed by mice.  Pigs are usually associated as filthy creatures that have no manners which might give light to Spiegelman's low opinion of the Germans during this period.  Similar to pigs, mice are seen are low creatures as well.  They are rodents and are often confused with rats which have an even more negative reputation.  In my opinion, the usage of different animals give insight towards the author's opinion and stance on the war.  This insight helps the reader understand the author's bias and voice. Vladek is a very handsome man that is said to resemble "Rudolph Valentino" (Spiegelman 15). He is very much against Communists as he commands his wife to stop associating with them or he will leave her when he says, "if you want your Communist friends, then I can't stay in this house" (Spiegelman 29). He is also a very doting husband to Anna as he travels to a sanitarium in Czechoslovakia when she falls ill (Spiegelman 32). At the sanitarium, he works hard to cheer her up and helped "always to calm her down" (Spiegelman 34). He is a very detailed and meticulous man as expressed when he states, "No! You don't know counting pills... I'm an expert for this" (Spiegelman 30). Counting pills is rather straightforward and the fact that he does not trust his son to correctly count directly portrays his meticulousness and need for attention to detail.

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The title "Prisoner of War" foreshadows perhaps the capturing of Vladek by the Nazi Army.  The image shows Nazi soldiers depicted by cats holding guns toward the a mouse perhaps a Polish soldier.  The title and image foreshadow the author telling his father's experience during the war.  One event that occurred in Chapter 3 was Vladek receiving only few days training before he was sent to the front lines.  This event is significant in that Vladek and the rest of the freshly drafted Polish soldiers were extremely unexperienced.
Another significant event includes Vladek going to into detail of the lengths his father went to so that he would not be drafted to the army.  This event gives great insight towards the influence his father had on him.  His father was tough on his son and instilled the same mentality into Vladek.  Thirdly, Chapter 3 details the time Vladek killed a man in battle.  He followed orders from his commander to shoot so when he saw a moving tree, he shot at it, killing the man.  Another event is when Vladek was put to work because he had fragile hands and lots of money.  He was given a job which demanded cleanliness.  This job gives insight towards his need for cleanliness and perfection.  Finally, Vladek was released from the working camp.  He strongly believes that his release was because it was "parsha."  From this, the audience can see the influence and significance of his religion in Vladek's life. Spiegelman visually depicts the Germans' attitude toward killing Jews with an image of a large group of Nazi soldiers holding guns to the heads of Jews who were on their knees on the ground. Included on the right side of the image are Nazi soldiers joking and drinking while the Jews were being killed behind them. This image expresses how little care the soldiers had towards the murdering of the Jews. They did not care nor have any empathy for the men, they took it as a little break from their work at the camp. The incident regarding Artie's jacket and his father express how tense their relationship can be and how different their opinions are. His father is still very much in control of his life despite Artie being thirty years old.

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Last Update: 3/17/19 4:05 pm

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From the title and the picture, it can be inferred that this chapter will speak about experiences Valdek had when the Nazis began closing in on the Jews. Spiegelman introduced us to his family by "panning" around the dining table to show the relationships of the people with the others. A mugshot would not have been able to capture the relationships and their personalities the way a panoramic view did. Vladek lied about the profit from his under the table deals because "otherwise they wouldn't save anything" (Spiegelman 77). This speaks to Vladek's character that he lies to his family to keep some extra money to the himself to take of him and his wife. It speaks to perhaps a selfishness that Vladek holds. The Poles were reward 1 kilo of sugar per every unregistered Jew reported. Vladek heard about Auschwitz right away but despite the talk and warnings, he did not believe it. He eventually came to believe the stories that came from there. Deciding whether to register was a difficult choice for Vladek and his family because they had no legal papers. They would be in trouble if they stayed and they would be in trouble if they fled. They believed it was a Nazi trap.

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The cover art depicts mice wrapped in blankets. Chapter 5 is titled "Mouse Holes." I interpreted this to mean Chapter 5 discusses Vladek's experiences in containment camps where it was cold and he felt trapped with no escape. The Prisoner comic upset Vladek because it was extremely personal and objective. Vladek was upsets because "it brought in my mind so much memories of Anja" (Spiegelman 104). Anja was his late wife. The panels from pages 119 to 121 were slightly upsetting to me because of how the authority were taking advantage of the Jewish people. The Jewish police would steal from the homes they searched as if taking them away was not enough. They would also play tricks on the Jewish who were so fearful of being found. Vladek and his family were betrayed when they were tricked into thinking they could escape, but instead walked right into a trap. The Jews that were hiding with him were shot and killed. Spiegelman depicts the crossroads Vladek and Anja come to as split with three options to decide from. The four directions create an image of the swastika. This suggests that no matter which they direction they choose to take, the Nazi regime will be right there with them. I do not think that Vladek's comments regarding Mala are true because she appears to be an extremely caring woman. Mala cooks and takes care of Vladek. She was extremely worried for him when he was on the roof attempting to fix the drain pipe and she hid the Prisoner comic from Vladek because she knew he would be upset by it. She fronts a caring nature to both Vladek and Artie.

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According to the title and image introducing chapter 6, I believe this foreshadows Vladek and Anja getting in trouble. I interpreted this as the Nazis have found them once again and they have no way to avoid it. Artie's dilemma at the beginning of chapter 6 is how to feel about Mala's comments regarding his father. She says she wants to leave him and Artie is unsure whether to support her desire or to try to change her mind. Anti-Semitism is passed down from generation to generation through stories mothers would tell their children to morph their perceptions of Jews. They told their children that Jews would "catch you to a bag and eat you" (Spiegelman 149). Artie called his father a murderer when he found out Vladek had burned Anja's diaries. He uses a such a strong word because he is extremely upset and hurt to hear of his father's actions. I feel the title "murderer" is a bit extreme. However, I do understand Artie's sentiments because Vladek had destroyed one of the few remnants of his mother. The diary provided an understanding of not only her experiences through their separation during the Holocaust, but also her brain and feelings. The diary held great meaning and value to Anja. In ways, the diary was her legacy, it made her feel still alive and with them. Vladek destroyed what Anja had left behind of herself.

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Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor's Tale. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986. Print.

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Nguyen, Michelle. MAUS by Art Spiegelman. Padlet, 17 Mar. 2019, padlet.com/mnguyen0411/edf5tihpzhub.

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This section will be continuously updated through the duration of reading the novel.
Art Spiegelman: the son of Vladek Spiegelman and is writing the story of his father's life experiences
Vladek Spiegelman: the father of Art Spiegelman who is described as very handsome and looks similar to "Rudolph Valentino" (Spiegelman 13)., Holocaust survivor, outspoken, detail-oriented, perfectionist, stubborn, borderline controlling
Lucia Greenberg: a long-term partner of Vladek Spiegelman who is described as very beautiful but came from a family with "no money" (Spiegelman 15)., early minor character who is not mentioned later in the book
Anna Zylberberg "Anja": the wife of Vladek Spiegelman who when compared to Lucia Greenberg is not as attractive but is "incredibly clever, from a rich family, a very good girl" (Spiegelman 15)., committed suicide due to depression, mother of Artie
Mala: Vladek's second wife, caring, troubled marriage to Vladek, kind, motherly

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The author chooses to speak exactly how his father spoke, including grammatical errors in his writing, for example, "they marched me over to where it was more like me" (Speigelman 49). He maintains his father's speech to add to the authenticity of his father's words and experiences. The author also chooses to write in daily language, excluding more complex words. The exclusion of complex words might hint towards a lack of education or by choice to make it real for the audience. The author references his father's religion on several occasions explaining how important it was to Vladek. For example, "each week on Saturday, we read a section of the Torah" (Spiegelman 57).

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Selayna. “Major Life Changes: Balancing, Packing, and Writing.” Broken Mirrors, WordPress, 11 Aug. 2015, tobiasmastgrave.wordpress.com/category/television-and-movie-reviews/doctor-who/.
Czestochowa and Sosnowiec are located in southwestern Poland and are approximately "35 or 40 miles" (Spiegelman 15) apart. The attached image below is an actual geographical image of Poland.

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MLA Citation: Kerr, Paul. Nazi Marching Song. YouTube, 24 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=edPn7MtawLs&bpctr=1553832100.

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MLA Citation: “Maus I: A Survivor's Tale - My Father Bleeds History.” Amazon, Amazon, www.amazon.com/Maus-Survivors-Father-Bleeds-History/dp/0394747232.

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Last Update: 3/28/19 10:40 pm

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According to the title page and image, I predict that chapter 1 discusses Vladek's experiences at Auschwitz. Artie wants to meet Richieu because his brother was the perfect golden child of his parents whereas Artie was in trouble and struggled with them growing up. He wonders if they would get along despite their stark differences.  The priest tries to cheer Vladek up by telling that his numbers meaningful in the Hebrew culture. Vladek believed he "put another life in me" (Spiegelman 28).  Mandelbaum is the uncle of Abraham.  He was one of the first friends Vladek made at Auschwitz.  He is portrayed as very clumsy and struggled in the camp.  A change in Vladek's character that we see in this chapter is kindness. Two events in which we see this profound kindness and unselfishness is when he gives his winning bingo card to the lady behind him and when he got the belt, new shoes, and spoon for his friend Mandelbaum. Five significant events of chapter 1 include the fleeing of Mala, the meeting of Mandelbaum and Vladek, the relationship between Vladek and the Kapo, and Artie's experience of seeing a different side of his father.

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From the title and cover art, the reader can predict the chapter will feature the gas chambers of Auschwitz. Artie portrays himself as a man wearing a mouse mask. This portrayal could symbolize how much Artie has tried to put himself into his father's shoes and tries to understand him, but yet has failed. He tried to fully understand his father, but he never fully could because he was never there in person. This section is important because it shows the weight of the information he was trying record. The solemness and the sadness of the events weighed so much upon his shoulders and were contagious. He soon felt perhaps how his father dealt with mentally post-Holocaust. His purpose for writing the novel was medialized and was lost in translation. Vladek is put to work into a tin factory. He is immediately belittled by the chief of the tinmen because of his past life. The chief of the tinmen was a Jewish Russian communist. He describes how desperate the workers were for food such as sawdust and flour mixture, spoiled cheese, and bitter drinks made from roots. Bribery was very common within the camp. The guards were very strict and tough, often beating or killing the Jews for any small issue. Vladek began working at Birkenau where Anja was kept. The two found out the other was still alive and wept of joy. He describes the kindness and friendship both Anja and he built with Mancie who delivered messages and food between the two. He was beaten by a soldier when he was seen speaking to Anja.

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Vladek responds very nonchalantly when Artie tell his father the information he learned from his research.  This could be from how daily events like this must have happened in the camps.  They were so normal.  They were like white noise to the prisoners.  Vladek is able survived the cattle car by squishing in the corner for breathing room and then tying his blanket to hooks in the ceiling to create a hammock.  Francoise is disgusted by Vladek's racism.  Artie might have included this within his story to show the relationship between his wife and his father.  Vladek might not remember events from the day before, but remember events from the Holocaust because they were more scarring and worthy of  memorizing than perhaps what he had for lunch the previous day. Artie might have included the picture of his father at the end of the book rather than the beginning because he wanted the readers to know his father inside and out personality and character wise before they got to know his face.

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Last Update: 4/2/19 11:22 pm

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Based on the title and cover image, I can infer that chapter four discusses the rescuing of Vladek from the concentration camps and the end of the war.  Americans are represented by dogs because they are the enemies of cats which in this scenario are the Germans.  WWII was essentially the battle between Americans and the Germans.  Dogs generally are stronger than cats which is why they might have been chosen to represent the Americans and their victory.  The scattering of the photos is symbolic of the scattering of Vladek's family.  Each went their own way during the war and met their own separate fate.  The family fell apart and scattered similarly to the way the photos were scattered. Five events that occurred in chapter 4 are the Americans winning the war, Vladek asking Artie and Francoise to come live with him, the Jews lining along the water surrounded by the Germans ready to shoot anyone who tried to escape, Shivek and Vladek hiding in a pit behind a garage to hid from the Germans, the two hiding in a barn, and getting rescued by the Americans.

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Based of the chapter title and cover image, the reader can infer that the chapter will discuss Vladek's journey to freedom and rescue. Five events from this chapter include Vladek running off to Florida before Artie could finish recording his story, the reconciliation of Mala and Vladek, Vladek escaping and moving to Sweden after the war, Vladek returns to New York and is taken to the hospital, and Anja and Vladek reconcile in his reminiscent. Vladek cannot recall events from the day previous, but can from the Holocaust. This lack of recollection shows the deterioration of his health, his memory is getting worse. This also attends to show how scarred he is by the Holocaust and the events, they hold more significance to him than the events from the previous day. Artie includes the image of his father at the end of the book because the image of him is what causes the reconciliation of Anja and Vladek after the war. The pictures holds too much significance to not include. Spiegelman might have also included the image of his father at the end of the novel, rather than the beginning because throughout the entirety of the story the audience was not able to see what his father truly looked like, they could only imagine. The image of his father serves as almost the bow on top of the present. His character and personality is the gift and the image and appearance of him is purely the outside. The readers were able to know him and why he does the things he does extremely well before they were put a face to the character. Spiegelman draws the Jewish star upon his parents' gravestone because it represents them and their beliefs. The image of the star alone and the correlation to their lifetime says lot to their experiences and lives.

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MAUS is the frame tale which tells of the tense and evolving relationship between son and father and the father's experience as a Jewish man during WWII. Art Spiegelman's MAUS focuses on his father's experiences withing concentration camps, hiding from German soldiers, marriages and personal friendships, and his relationship to his son. The plot follows the line of Artie Spiegelman recording his father's stories and real life personal exchanges with his son. He tells of the hardships and complexity of his father's character and lifetime. I respect Spiegelman's courage to openly share his imperfect relationship with his father and dedication to as accurately as possible record his father's words. While I appreciate the openess of his story, Spiegelman's work could at times be too in detail and extensive. He details unimportant events such his father's relationship to Lucia which played no influence in the big picture of the novel. I recommend this novel to readers that are interested in historical nonfiction. The novel details the good and the gruesome experiences of a real man's life during and after the Holocaust. I would rate this novel a 3/5 stars because while this novel was not terrible, it did not captivate me and make me want to keep reading.

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Last Update: 4/9/19 11:01 pm