Sunday, February 22, 2015
Parallels
It seems to me that the father's experience during the holocaust was so insurmountably traumatic that it forever altered his personality, not unlike much of the material we have already covered in this class. As such, the man's son was always destined to grow up in a household where the effects of the holocaust continually resonate. The graphic novel format is useful in depicting a parallel between the father's experiences, and similar, albeit much less stressful, experiences imposed on the son by the father. In Maus 1 and 2, we see in the father echos of behavior which proved necessary at the time of the holocaust: a general sense of distrust, holding on to scraps, excessive bargaining. We see in Maus 2 much bartering and bribing between Jewish and Polish prisoners. In agreement with such behavior, the father continues to try to save every penny possible into his late life. He also imposes such an attitude toward money on his family.
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He does mirror his Holocaust behaviors; I said that in my post too. I also thought though about how much he contradicts those very behaviors. He threw out Art's jacket, and even burning Anja's diaries completely go against those behaviors. However, I do agree that he imposes these attitudes on his family, especially money, because even Art talks about how Richeu would have married a "rich Jewish girl". Throughout all of Maus I and II Vladek talked about money and now Art is too.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that it is utterly impossible for Art not to be predisposed to those memories of his father's because those memories have become such a turning point in Vladek's life. It's also interesting to see how that effects Art in many indefinable ways because he has not experienced the Holocaust and yet, carries it with him as if he did. Art is at an extreme disadvantage that Vladek is never able to recognize as the reader sees when Maus II comes to a close with Vladek calling Art, Richeu.
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