Character assignment

1. “When my Comrades saw I was going; they too registered”.

The Jewish prisoners were given an option of going to another camp, where they could work, and get better shelter/food. Many people thought this was a trap, but once Vladek decided to go, people went with him. This shows that he is known to make wise decisions, and is a natural leader.

“I tell you, if anaja could be alive now, it would be everything different with me! Mala makes me crazy. Only she talks about money, always about my will –”

This quote describes the other side of Vladek, as a weak and old man. He greatly misses his dead wife, and is regretting his decision of re-marrying. His young and strong character that allowed him to survive the holocaust is no longer there. s

2. 175113. This was his number that was tattooed on his arms. While he got separated from Anja, he was extremely depressed in his camps. He began to cry, and then an unknown prisoner came by. He looked at his numbers, and said it was the luckiest number containing lots of religiously symbolic numbers. He states, this gave him the courage to survive the war.

Setting Assignment

The Graphic Novel MAUS has two settings: One in a modern time around when the book was written, in 1980~1990, and the other as Art’s father talks about his holocaust experience, around 1930~1950’s.

“I still want to draw that book about you… the one I used to talk about… about your life in Poland, and the war” Page 14.

            This quote sets up the overall setting, Art Spiegelman listening to his father, Vladek, talk about his life.

“It was the beginning of 1938 – before the war – hanging high in the center of town, it was a Nazi flag. Here was the first time I saw, with my own eyes, the swastika” Page 34.

            This quote really begins the main story of the book, about Vladek Spiegelman’s life as a Jew during the holocaust.

 Geography:  Begins in Czestochowa, a small down in Poland, near the border of Germany. And moves around Poland and Germany.

Occupation: Vladek begins as a textiles trader, until the Germans take over, then he goes through illegal buissinesses to survive. Later becomes a soldier to fight, then finally a worker at concentration camps.

Time Period: late 1930’s to 1950’s, around the time of World War II.

The General Environment: Vladek has a lot of very good friends who helps him survive. Of course, he’s Jewish, and is always struggling to survive no matter how hard it might get.  His wife struggled from depression and health issues, but he always motivates her to survive.