The Holocaust has done a lot of things to Vladek, in Art Spiegelman’s Maus. However, the most noticeable thing it has done, is that it has changed who he was as a man. Before the Holocaust, Vladek was once a man who was kind, wealthy, and exceptionally resourceful, and his marriage with Anja was full of genuine love. Afterwards, he is definitely not the same man. He is stubborn, easily irritable, and stingy to the point where it’s comical. This certainly puts a strain with his current wife Mala, and their marriage seems strained and without any love, whatsoever. In Spiegelman’s Maus, Vladek's marriage with Mala is very different than it was with Anja, because Anja was his first love, Mala was just a replacement, and Mala just wants his money.
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In the beginning of the graphic novel, Vladek seemed to be interested in Anja, because she was from a wealthy family. When he started to converse with her more often he realized something, “...if you talked to her, you started loving her more and more” (18). Obviously this isn’t Vladek’s first time with another woman. It is mentioned that he has had several girlfriends, and the reader sees his ‘relationship’ with Lucia Greenberg. Those previous ex-girlfriends might have made him happy, but Anja seemed to spark something inside of him that the others didn’t. Their love for each other manifested into Richieu, and it manifested into Art. Unfortunately, the Holocaust took Richieu away from Vladek, and it took away Art’s chance to have a proper …show more content…
Though Vladek is old, he is a very wealthy man. Mala realizes this, and she stays with him since he can financially support her. It’s good for her to try to take care of herself, but in a marriage isn’t about taking care of each other? She nags him about their bills and even his will, and Vladek says,“Mala makes me crazy, [she only] talks about money” (67). Mala is trying to benefit herself in the long run, because Vladek isn’t living forever. She is only trying to do what she can to get by, and she wants to financially stable. This completely misses the bar that was set from Vladek’s marriage with Anja, and that’s why neither of them are happy in this
In the beginning of the graphic novel, Vladek seemed to be interested in Anja, because she was from a wealthy family. When he started to converse with her more often he realized something, “...if you talked to her, you started loving her more and more” (18). Obviously this isn’t Vladek’s first time with another woman. It is mentioned that he has had several girlfriends, and the reader sees his ‘relationship’ with Lucia Greenberg. Those previous ex-girlfriends might have made him happy, but Anja seemed to spark something inside of him that the others didn’t. Their love for each other manifested into Richieu, and it manifested into Art. Unfortunately, the Holocaust took Richieu away from Vladek, and it took away Art’s chance to have a proper …show more content…
Though Vladek is old, he is a very wealthy man. Mala realizes this, and she stays with him since he can financially support her. It’s good for her to try to take care of herself, but in a marriage isn’t about taking care of each other? She nags him about their bills and even his will, and Vladek says,“Mala makes me crazy, [she only] talks about money” (67). Mala is trying to benefit herself in the long run, because Vladek isn’t living forever. She is only trying to do what she can to get by, and she wants to financially stable. This completely misses the bar that was set from Vladek’s marriage with Anja, and that’s why neither of them are happy in this