A common recurring theme in Maus written by Art Spiegelman is warfare. Maus is presented from the perspective of Polish Jews who were imprisoned by the Nazi in concentration camps. Throughout the book, a common occurrence is the bloodshed and violence that is generally associated with war, for example; on many occasions, Vladek Spiegelman describes to his son, Art, how life was in the concentration camps where they were forced into a life of brutal physical labor and how the infamous gas chambers took the lives of many of his friends and family members away. Other than the physical violence commonly associated with warfare, Maus also discusses the psychological effects of wartime and being forced into a labor camp from a life of many luxury
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From common citizens, with a regular job and not many hardships or concerns in life many Jews living in Germany and surrounding countries would forever be changed. Throughout the book, as Vladek describes to Art his experiences during the holocaust, it is evident that as a result of these tragedies and calamities Valdek changes as a person, and the things that he took for granted before, have become luxuries now. Art asks Valdek “When did you first hear about Auschwitz?” (4.90) Vladek responds with “Right away we heard...even form there-from that other world-people came back and told us. But we didn’t believe.” (4.90) Vladek's response to Art’s question reinforces the idea that the acts of violence and torture which were taking place seemed so heinous that no human being would be able to commit them. This quote signifies how in wartime, acts that seem too cruel or violent to commit can be executed with very little feeling, as wartime makes people’s worst nightmares a reality. Additionally, this quote shows, how during a time of war and violence, people do not want to face the reality of what is happening to their friends, family, and fellow countrymen. Diverting and avoiding the truth of wartime allows many people to go about their normal lives and ignore the war which could one day change their lives, this is clearly shown when those who had escaped the concentration camps came back to their homes and told people about the terrible things which happened there. Yet, no one was willing to believe them because many of them did not want to face the truth of war, which is a bloody and brutal conflict and ends in only more death and
From common citizens, with a regular job and not many hardships or concerns in life many Jews living in Germany and surrounding countries would forever be changed. Throughout the book, as Vladek describes to Art his experiences during the holocaust, it is evident that as a result of these tragedies and calamities Valdek changes as a person, and the things that he took for granted before, have become luxuries now. Art asks Valdek “When did you first hear about Auschwitz?” (4.90) Vladek responds with “Right away we heard...even form there-from that other world-people came back and told us. But we didn’t believe.” (4.90) Vladek's response to Art’s question reinforces the idea that the acts of violence and torture which were taking place seemed so heinous that no human being would be able to commit them. This quote signifies how in wartime, acts that seem too cruel or violent to commit can be executed with very little feeling, as wartime makes people’s worst nightmares a reality. Additionally, this quote shows, how during a time of war and violence, people do not want to face the reality of what is happening to their friends, family, and fellow countrymen. Diverting and avoiding the truth of wartime allows many people to go about their normal lives and ignore the war which could one day change their lives, this is clearly shown when those who had escaped the concentration camps came back to their homes and told people about the terrible things which happened there. Yet, no one was willing to believe them because many of them did not want to face the truth of war, which is a bloody and brutal conflict and ends in only more death and