Oppression In Forever And Maus

Since the beginning there has always been hardships for certain classes just because of their beliefs or appearances, yet man kind continues to repeat this monstrous cycle. In both Forever and Maus, religion is the key to inflicting social injustice onto a certain group. The central issue in Maus, written by Art Spiegelman, is the Jews being rounded up and exterminated like mice by the German government. While in Forever, written by Pete Hamill, the main issue begins with oppression towards the Catholic people of Ireland by the British. Even with the different groups involved both novels have the similar issue involving religious oppression. The concept of religious oppression can be seen in Forever and Maus in a economic, emotional, and physical …show more content…
The economic oppression was the start of hardships in both novels. Forever’s Irish people were taxed and sold just because they were Catholics or because the rulers just wanted to do as they pleased. Maus’ protagonist Vladek got his business and home torn from him by the government because of his religion. The emotional oppression is subtle, yet deadly in both novels. Forever’s characters are treated like slaves, working off to stay in the country that they hoped would bring them freedom. In Maus, Jews lost their identities and became creatures to the Nazi’s eyes, soulless beings treated like animals. Lastly the physical oppression, which in both cases led to death. The slaves in Forever that were trapped in cages, being sent to a world they didn’t know, being treated wrongly just because of their beliefs and economic states that the government put them in at the beginning. The Jews in Maus were killed like rats by the Nazis as part of the extermination plan because they were not part of the perfect race the Nazis wanted to create. Even with all of the past knowledge, it seems history will always be doomed to repeat