"The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human."

-- Adolf Hitler

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

CHAPTER 6: "Mouse Trap"


ABOVE:  Satirical image perpetuating Jewish "miserly" stereotype (from "South Park." See question #1 below).
For Chapter 6, address one of the following questions for your blog comment (REQUIRED).  ONLY 3 PEOPLE MAY RESPOND TO ONE QUESTION!  If you are the 4TH PERSON, SORRY ... you must DO OVER for credit!  Be creative, bring your OWN thoughts to the questions.  Don't just state facts, but INFER something new from what you see and read. Make sure you ask yourself "why?" ... and then answer it!  ALL POSTS SHOULD BE AT LEAST A SOLID PARAGRAPH, AND ANSWER ALL OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS GIVEN FOR THE NUMBER YOU SELECT.

1.)   Artie says that, as he is working on his cartoon, he realizes his father is "just like the racist caricature of the miserly (penny-pinching) old Jew."  (See "South Park" image above.)  Having finished the first book, do you think Maus I perpetuates (supports and continues) Jewish racist stereotypes, or defends and explains them?  In other words, do you see Spiegelman's COMPLETE portrayal of his father as a positive or negative thing?  CITE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to prove your case. 

2.) At the beginning of the chapter, Mala tells more about (her opinion of) her relationship with Vladek.  Write a paragraph explaining why you believe Mala should either:
a.) stay with Vladek, or 
b.) leave Vladek.  
Your explanation should not just be OPINION, but should cite specific facts that support your case, as stated in Maus I.  (Cite SPECIFIC information we know as learned from the book.)


3.)  When Artie shows an early draft of some sketches that will eventually become the book Maus I, Mala says, "It's a very important book.  People who don't usually read such stories will be interested" (p. 133).  What does she mean?  (Hint:  There can be at least TWO meanings behind what she says.  You may comment on either one.)


4.)  On page 133, Artie says, "I've gotta write this conversation down before I forget it."  Why was that conversation so important?  Explain in detail.

5.)  Knowing what you know, why might Vladek's comment that Artie will be as famous as "Walt Disney" be both comical and ironic?  *NOTE:  As there is really only one answer to this question, ONLY ONE PERSON MAY ANSWER IT ON THE BLOG COMMENTARY!  AFTER THAT, NO OTHER ANSWERS COUNT FOR CLASS CREDIT! 


6.) On pages 138 and 139, we learn more about Vladek's dealings with the "black market," buying food and goods illegally.  With these stories, what do you think the author is implying about Vladek's "miserly" state later in life (in the "frame story")?


7.)  In your opinion, why did Spiegelman make Anja afraid of RATS on page 147.  (Realize that, to us humans, rats are in the same family as "mice.")  Make sure to support your opinion!


8.)  Why did the author include the story about the children on page 149?  What greater purpose does it serve in telling the story of the holocaust?  


9.)  Anja frequently begs Vladek not to try to escape to Hungary.  Why is this important to the story?


10.)  Vladek tells Artie that Miloch and his family survived the entire war at Mrs. Motonowa's house, where they were never discovered nor taken to Auschwitz (p. 154).  Why is this detail about a minor character important to the entire book?  (In other words, why did Spiegelman include this "small" detail?)  

22 comments:

  1. 3)Mala is telling us that there are many people who do not study the war between the Nazi's and the Jew's. She thinks that the topic is constantly being written through words and long stories which may be boring to many people. This comic book will be very interesting for those readers who want a good picture in their head and want to read something very graphic.

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  2. 10.) Vladek tells Artie that Miloch and his family survived the entire war at Mrs. Motonowa's house, where they were never discovered nor taken to Auschwitz (p. 154). Why is this detail about a minor character important to the entire book? (In other words, why did Spiegelman include this "small" detail?)

    This is important to the entire book because it tells the reader that if Vladek wouldn't have been in such a hurry to make sure his wife was protected and safe and would have listened to his wife and stayed he would have been safe. Miloch hid where Vladek and Anja were hiding before Vladek took them to be smuggled to Hungary. I also believes that this was put in there to show that Vladek led to some of Anja's depression because he got more depressed in Auschwitz and she would have never been there if Vladek would have listened to her.

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  3. 8.) Why did the author include the story about the children on page 149? What greater purpose does it serve in telling the story of the holocaust?

    Art probably included the story to show how the war had influenced EVERYONE, this even includes children because they are really easy to manipulate. For example, when we read the " The Children's Story" by James Clavell we had seen how children are easlily influenced, not only that but during this time which is World War II everyone is blaming the Jews, so this is impacting the children. This served a greater purpose in the holocuast because this is degrading the Jewish people even more and it really does make them seem less like humans.

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  4. 9.)Anja begging Vladek not to make arrangements to escape to Hungary because she fears it's too dangerous of a risk to take. Anja feels this is just a trick by the smugglers or something even worse will happen, getting caught. This is significant because in the end Vladek convinces Anja, who still has her doubts, to escape, but on the train to Hungary Vladek and the rest are captured by the Gestapo. They are then eventually sent to Auschwitz which concludes the story of the book. If ANja stood her ground on not trying to escape everything would still be fine and Anja and Vladek would still be safe in Mrs. Motonowa's home.

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  5. 9.) Anja frequently begs Vladek not to try to escape to Hungary. Why is this important to the story?

    This is important to the story because when they actually made arrangements to go, this is how they got arrested by the German officers. It is sad because if Vladek would have listened to Anja they wouldn't have ended up in Auschwitz at all, because the smugglers were traitors and turned them in. Mrs. Motonowa's home was safe for the entire duration of the war. If Anja would have really persisted to stay at Motonowa's home they would have escaped the horrors of the Holocaust death camps.

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  6. 10.)Spiegelman includes this small detail because Vladek and Anja would've survived in Milochs place. They wouldn't have been taken to Auschwitz and would've had a nice, safe place to wait out the war. Plus, Vladek and Anja wouldn't have been so emotionally damaged because they wouldn't experience the suffering that being in a concentration camp certaintely brought. Vladeks entire story would be completely different.

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  7. 8.) Why did the author include the story about the children on page 149? What greater purpose does it serve in telling the story of the holocaust?
    I think the author include the story about the children because it shows how more and more people are turning against the jews and how the holocaust makes the jews seem like the enemy. This goes to show and tell how the holocaust is dehumanizing the jews even more because people are now treating them not like humans.

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  8. 5. Vladek's comment about Walt Disney is comical and ironic because Walt Disney is also famous for drawing mice. He drew Mickey Mouse. Artie drew the Jews in Maus as mice. Vladek is proud of Artie by actually saying a comment like this. He's appreciating Artie's work.

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  9. 1) I believe that Maus I does not perpetuate Jewish stereotypes, and Mr. Spiegalman's complete portrayal of his father is a positive thing. Although there are multiple instances in the book of Vladek being cheap, Art does defend him. The fact that he says he's just trying to portray his father accurately when he states that his father is like the Jewish stereotype means that he isn't being racist or perpetuating the stereotype that Jews are cheap. Asides from that, there is one moment in which his father isn't overly frugle; he's actually a bit generous in that scene. In said instance, Vladek gives Art a coat which is, in his words, "still like new."

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  10. 10.) The hand of fate works in many odd and miraculious ways. Art Spiegelman mentioned the fact that Miloch and his family survived the holocaust by staying with Mrs. Motonowa to really point out that fine line between the destinies Vladek and Anja had in front of them. And due to the weird force know as fate, Vladek chose to make a run for Hungary. This puts major meaning to the entire book, almost enchancing the idea believe by some that "everything happens for a reason."

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  11. 1. I think that Art's overall portrayal of his father is a positive thing. Vladek is sometimes shown as being a penny-pincher, such as when it is mentioned that he takes paper towels from restrooms so that he doesn't have to buy napkins or tissues. It can be inferred that Vladek became cheap because during the war he didn't have any money or goods, so now he is very stingy with his money. But, he is saving his money, which is in the hundreds of thousands, for Artie and his future. This shows that Vladek genuinely cares about his son and is only saving this money for him. He is also portrayed positively because he shows that he cares for Artie by wanting him to come to visit more often.

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  12. 4. On page 133, Artie says, "I've gotta write this conversation down before I forget it." Why was that conversation so important? Explain in detail.
    Artie's conversation with Vladek and Mala is important because this is the first time Vladek gives Artie a complement, in the book. Vladek is always very critical of Artie, he tells him that he can't even sort screws. In this conversation Vladek tells Artie that he'll be famous like Walt Disney. This is kind of funny because the one thing that Vladek thinks that Artie does right is about him.

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  13. 9) Anja begs Vladek not to go to Hungary because this foreshadows their capture towards Auschwitz. Vladek should listen to Anja in the first place rather than striking this deal with the traitorous smugglers who revealed to actually turn in Vladek and Anja in to Auschwitz. Anja suspects that this plan is actually a trick and it actually did happen. If they stayed at Mrs. Motonowa's house the whole time, they did not have to be captured by the Nazi's.

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  14. 4) In this page Artie says that he wasnts to srite the conversation down before he forgets it. I thnk he wants to do this because in the beginning of the conversation he gets Mala's perspective on how Vladek acts and from her we learn a little about Anja. Then the part to me that he is even more excited to write down about is when Vladek says, "You can be as famous as Walt Disney" because he has a lways looked down upon Artie's profession as a comic author. For him to see that Artie is really good shows he that Artie now is gaining confidence because the man who always hated his past works is now congratulating him on his piece. He wants to write it down because it was pretty much the first time Vladek has complimtented him in what he is doing.

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  15. 4) Artie leaves to go write the conversation for the book because before this conversation, Vladek always treats Artie like he doesn't know how to do anything. He is always criticizing Artie and makes him feel bad. This conversation, however, is different because Vladek compliments on the awesome drawings that Artie makes and tells him he will become as famous as Walt Disney. This is the first time Vladek says a good thing about Artie.

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  16. 8) I think the author included the story about the children on page 149 because it proved why it was so important for Vladek and Anja to be in hiding for the past two chapters. It showed what it was like living in Poland at that time. It also gave a taste of what the mentality of non-Jews was and how parents taught their children that Jews were evil. Anyone, even children on the street, would call out Jews and turn them in to the police. It was a very scary time for anyone who was targeted by the Nazis.

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  17. On pages 138 and 139, we learn more about Vladek's dealings with the "black market," buying food and goods illegally. With these stories, what do you think the author is implying about Vladek's "miserly" state later in life (in the "frame story")?

    It shows that Vladeck doesn't get what he needs as he used to. Times has changed but Vladeck has to realize that the war is over; that he doesn't need to be a hoarder. He must know use money, which is hard for him, to actually buy things like food and clothes, not use hand-me-downs and whatever finds on the street.

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  18. #6. Pages and 138 and 139 give us support on why Vladek becomes miserly later in life. When Vladek was getting his food and goods during the war, it was all illegally and through black markets. I think that the author is implying that Vladek had such a hard time obtaining the materials he needed during the war and he was forced to live and survive off of little or no money most of the time. Showing these black markets and the illegal sellings, it gives us support that Vladek isn't used to having money to spend. I think page 138 and 139 are pieces of evidence that can support the statement that Vladek knows how limited money can be at times.

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  19. #2
    I believe that Mala should stay with Vladek because he needs her support and they have a special connection.
    Vladek is very unhealthy. We know from earlier chapters that he needs to take a lot of pills to keep his health up. On page 118, Vladek even has a heart problem. Without Artie being there with him to help, he could've died from a heart attack. Without Mala being there to care for him, he would probably be in very dangerous situations.
    Also, Vladek and Mala have a special connection. We learned from Chapter 1 that these two were both Holocaust survivors. By having this unique connection, they should be able to better understand each other's situations and get over their problems.

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  20. 1. I feel that the way Art displays his father in the story in neither a positive or negative way. I feel that he simply shows his father in a truthful way. At times it shows that he can be stingy, like when Mala shows that he brings paper towels home from hotels, but at other times he is perfectly normal.

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  21. #7 I think they included this to continue reminding the reader that these are in fact humans and not just mice. I think that this is very important because when reading this, you often forget that this is non-fiction because of the way it is presented, so this little detail makes us re-realize how horrible it was for actual people, not just these cool mice characters.

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  22. 4.
    Artie leaves to go and write the conversation down because t was very out of character for Vladek to have so much confidance in Artie and for him to evencompliment him. With the way Vladek usually treats Artie it was most likely shocking to Artie to hear his fathers reaction to his work and for him to even be able too give a compliment using a very successful person in the art world's name: Walt Diseny.

    This conversation was important because it shows that Artie writing this book about him father's expierence in teh Holocaust might help to create a relationship between the two. It may help Artie see reasons for some of his fathers ways and actions. An di tmay help Vladek see how intellegent Artie is and how his artistic ability is very helpful to him and will take him far i his life. It gives Vladek a reason to be proud of Artie.

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