Trauma and Guilt

    One of the main ways that the traumas of the Holocaust get passed from Vladek to Art is through guilt. Guilt is obviously present in many ways in the book. Vladek experienced extreme survivor’s guilt from the Holocaust, especially considering that most of his family and friends died. As Pavel, Art’s psychiatrist, suggest, he could have taken that guilt out on Art. The passing of this guilt is supported by Art admitting to Francoise that he feels guilty for having a better life than his parents. Art explains, “Somehow, I wish I had been in Auschwitz with my parents so I could really know what they lived through! I guess it's some form of guilt about having had an easier life than they did.” Art cannot escape his sense of guilt, similar to how Vladek cannot escape his guilt nor the trauma from what he endured during the Holocaust.

     It is interesting to look at how both Art and Vladek are haunted by their pasts. While Vladek clearly has the burden of the Holocaust, after surviving that horrible experience, he had to suffer from the suicide of his wife as well. This is one trauma that Art also experienced first hand and evidently continues to be tortured by regularly. Aside from the guilt that Art “inherited” from his father, Art is burdened with the guilt of feeling responsible for his mothers death. This is presented in the comic “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” in Book 1, chapter 5 when Art writes, “I felt nauseous.... the guilt was overwhelming!” Art struggles with the idea that his mother killed herself because of the way he treated her; notably, when she asks if he still loves her, Art shortly replies, “Sure, ma!” It is also clear that Vladek still really struggles with Anja’s suicide. At the very end of the same chapter, Vladek breaks down at the bank and cries out his late wife’s name. Anja’s death is another thing from Vladek’s past that continues to haunt him.