Maus

Spiegelman begins Maus with the story of his parents’ courtship against Vladek’s wishes. What are Art’s and Vladek’s perspectives on this issue? Why is it important to detail their life before the war?

How do the present-day interactions between Art and Vladek influence the narrative? How does growing up with Holocaust survivors affect Art, and what story elements does he struggle with depicting?

Describe three strategies that Vladek and others use to avoid capture in Nazi-occupied Poland. How does Spiegelman apply graphic storytelling elements to describe these techniques? Are any of them consistently effective?

What does Anja represent to Vladek? To Art? Consider their feelings about her before and after her death.

How does Spiegelman depict life in Auschwitz? Describe the roles that Vladek and Anja take on and what they do to communicate with each other. What are Vladek’s views on resisting the Nazis?

What is the role of religion in Maus? Identify two scenes that foretell good fortune and their connections to Judaism or other religions.

Pavel suggests that surviving the Holocaust is ultimately random and that humanity does not learn any lesson from it. Using evidence from the book, argue whether Maus supports or refutes this perspective.

Describe Vladek’s life after the war. How do the physical and mental scars of the Holocaust affect him? What benefits does he receive from telling his story?