Valdek Spiegelman, one of the few Holocaust survivors, will be in an eternal battle with his psychological trauma from his experience. The Holocaust was a brutal and inhumane massacre of people. It is nearly impossible to comprehend exactly what Valdek had to go through. Unsurprisingly, Valdek’s son inherits some of the trauma of the Holocaust because of his father’s survivor’s guilt. Arti, Valdek’s son, is constantly being guilt tripped by his father. Not only does Valdek make other people feel guilty, he himself is a difficult and stubborn person. Maybe it’s because Valdek feels guilty for living through Auschwitz when so many of his loved ones did not. His beloved son Richieu is one of those who did not make it. Even his wife Anja ends up killing herself after the Holocaust ended. Art is really the only person Valdek has left, which puts a lot of pressure on Art. Personally, I don’t know how I would be able to handle such horrifying events. Trying to be “normal” or live a normal life after these kinds of tragedies would be difficult. By making Maus into a graphic novel, Art Spiegelman can expand the expressions and emotions of Valdek’s and Art’s relationship. In regular books, a duo’s feelings towards one another are not as easy to interpret. Because Maus is a graphic novel it portrays exactly how the characters feel about each other. Graphic novels are more personal and give the reader much more information and insight such as body language. The frustration Art was dealing with Valdek could be clearly deduced. Though both Art and Valdek love each other dearly, the long lasting effects of the holocaust continue to be prevalent in their lives.