I found the book Maus to be an awesome piece of literary work. I read the entire thing in one sitting and found it hard to put the book down, the story line was captivating and having it formatted into a cartoon was particularly intriguing and a great idea. I found the book as a whole moving, but there were a few parts that stuck out particularly to me. To be quite honest, I did not really know much about the Holocaust, I learned some things about it in high school but reading this book broadened my knowledge and hearing Spiegelmans actual experiences was touching and eye opening.
The first part that I found shocking was that the Nazi’s (cats) could just go into a Jewish (mice) owned business and take control. It clearly is unfair and unjust and it’s so shocking that 60 years ago such insanity was going on and the Jewish people could do nothing about it. Anja’s family was very wealthy and usually when you think wealth you associate power with it. However, in the case of the Holocaust being wealthy could only get you so far for so long, eventually you’d run out of money/goods to sell and end up in a camp like Anja’s family did.
Another part of the book I was taken aback by was the treatment of elders and children. I remember a part of the book where Spiegelman mentioned that when the Nazi’s were taking the children away if they cried or misbehaved they would “swing them by the leg into a brick wall and kill them.” I was completely shocked by this and also how they would immediately send elders to the gas chambers upon arriving to the camps. However, not all children were killed many of them were brought to the camps and forced to work, similar child-labor happenings still exist in the world today. The fact that children were taken could be related to what is happening in Uganda today where children are being kidnapped at as early as 4 years old and being forced into rebel armies. Another interesting fact regarding children in this book was when Art was walking and the children started harassing him screaming ‘Jew’ and saying to ‘hide before the Jew eats you,’ etc…
The last part that struck me was the fact that people Spiegelman trusted gave him up and is the reason he and Anja ended up in a camp. Throughout the whole book he turned to people he knew to help him out, whether it was hiding for a few days, getting him a job, leaving his only child with, and then for them to finally get caught was heartbreaking. I know that today when I have a problem I immediately turn to my friends and family for advice, guidance or help. I could not imagine turning to them to help save my life and them turning their backs on me.
The Holocaust was truly a horrible time in history but one that should never be forgotten. I really can’t wait to go to Auschwitz and get a true appreciation for the suffering that took place and to gain a great deal of knowledge on the Holocaust.
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Your blog comment really made me nervous to go to the Auschwitz camp. When I go to historic places I forget the realism behind what has really happened here. It makes me so sick that this happened in our world.
ReplyDeleteHow could anyone swing a child into a brick wall to kill them because they misbehaved? This story reminds me of the genocide in Rhwanda. The moral of the story is that we are all human. We are all the same. No one is superior to another group.
I didn't know much about the holocaust either since i am a science major. I am very excited to learn more and experience the place where so many innocent people were killed. All for what?
I also found this book very captivating. I believe that the choice to make it a comic book was the best choice. Even though the images were perhaps fabricated, they allowed the reader some insight into the emotional states of the characters. It allowed for the reader to connect more with the characters.
ReplyDeleteI also found the cruelty toward children and the elderly very appalling. I just kind find any understanding as to why there was no sympathy felt whatsoever. While some may have felt a twinge of guilt or sympathy, most performed their duties without an outward appearance as so (in the book which I am assuming is a valid description of the actual incidents). It is easier to see why an individual with certain psychological disorders are capable of such things, but a group of people united by political views is unfathomable. I guess being brainwashed is a psychological phenomenon.
It's sad that cruelty to children goes on today, but it just goes to show you how far the nazis went to get what they need. old people couldnt work so they were killed right away, rebellious children were too much of a hassle so they were killed. As far as the stabbing in the back of vladek goes, I dont think it was done maliciously, but people at the time probably thought that if they didnt look out for only themselves, that they would be sent away to their deaths. Auschwitz Birkenau is a place that has always haunted me in my thoughts. I really cant wait to visit the place and honor those who were murdered there.
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