Maus: A Survivor's Tale

How does one walk away from something like the Holocaust? When unspeakable events occur, what do the survivors do afterward? There is no real answer to these questions, but it is rarely an easy thing to do. The psychological strains of being a survivor are illustrated in Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus, in which Art details his father’s experiences during the Holocaust and its subsequent effects on their relationship.

Art does not have the best relationship with his parents, Vladek and Anja. Readers learn that Anja had committed suicide before the start of the novel. She appears to have suffered from clinical depression, judging from a stint in a mental institution before the war after having a breakdown and her language about life and her weariness towards it throughout the novel. Readers also learn that Vladek and Anja had a son named Richieu that did not survive the war because of an easily preventable wrong decision on their parts. Most of Vladek and Anja’s families were then exterminated in the camps. By the start of the novel, Vladek has lost most of the people he held dear in his life. He had remarried another Holocaust survivor named Mala after Anja’s death, who leaves halfway through because she cannot stand his stinginess. Vladek is characterized by being very tight-fisted with money and “radiating tension.” Scenes featuring him are often very tense as he makes those that he loves around him uncomfortable with his rather overbearing ways. His staggering thriftiness seems to be a holdover from the war, where saving any little thing could mean the difference between life and death. These characteristics about Vladek suggest that his experiences during the Holocaust have left him with a sense that those who love him are going to betray him, as so many of the ones he cared about were either killed or left. This prevents him from fully allowing himself to be loved or get to close to people like Art and Mala. Art remarks that he feels incredibly guilty being the son of Holocaust survivors, as his life was so much easier than theirs. The graphic novel format is optimal for getting the full effect of Vladek and Art’s relationship as the reader is able to see expressions and body language along with the characters. It softens the image of a rather discomforting and tragic relationship, and helps the reader to maintain a proper sense of empathy for both Vladek and Art.