The traumas of the Holocaust are passed from Vladek to Artie in the way of storytelling. Vladek shares the horrific events that happened to him during the Holocaust, putting images in his son's head that might be difficult to think about. This might create a feeling of guilt; Artie wished that he could save his father from all these hardships despite him not being born yet. By knowing what happened to Vladek, Artie feels some kind of distress. Based on his father's experiences, Artie now sees certain things the way Vladek did, which may alter his perspective.
Graphic novel telling is effective because it puts an image with the story, especially something as serious and hard to imagine such as the Holocaust. To tell a story like Vladek's put the reader in a better perspective and understanding of what he and other survivors had to do to get through the Holocaust alive. By portraying each character a certain way, the reader can better see what the author was trying to express with his storytelling.
I agree that Vladek passes his trauma to Art through his story telling. But I also think he passes it to him in other little ways, such as forcing Art to eat everything on his plate when he was younger and then saving the leftovers for breakfast. And instead of giving Art a new jacket after throwing away the one he already had, Vladek gives him an old tacky one. It's as if he's preparing Art for the next Holocaust with lessons in frugality and resourcefulness.
ReplyDeleteThe post memory is evident in the "survivor's guilt" Art experiences. While he was not alive during the Holocaust, Art explains the frustration he has knowing his life was easier than his parents. The post memory theme is evident in the first few pages in Maus I, when Vladek criticizes his son about the true meaning of friendship. The Holocaust shaped Art's life although he was not in it.
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