Shriya Patel Ms. Williams September 19, 2014 English ll Honors- 4 The novel Maus, written by Art Spiegelman, depicts the horrific experience of Vladek Spiegelman, his father, during the Holocaust. The story begins with Spiegelman recounting his time working in a textiles business in Poland, prior to World War ll. One day he was introduced to a clever girl named Anja and the two develop a liking to each other. After their marriage and the birth of their first child, Richieu, Anja became depressed and they stayed in a sanitarium for several weeks. Upon returning, they are alarmed at the rapidly growing German advance in Nazism and anti-Semitism. The Holocaust negatively affected Vladek by causing him physical and psychological trauma with …show more content…
“It was many, many such stories – synagogues burned, Jews beaten with no reason, whole towns pushing out all Jews – each story worse than the other.” (35). This quote signified some of the horrors Spiegelman and his people faced during the time period. His business was taken from him and he was forced into working as a prisoner of war. After his release, Vladek and Anja find various places to stay and hide to avoid the Gestapo, but are eventually caught and sent to the camps. This experience was mentally and physically damaging to Vladek. Another adverse effect the Holocaust had on Spiegelman is the change in his overall behavior. “All our friends went through the camps. Nobody is like him!” (133). In his younger days, Vladek was a far more kind, social, and resourceful person. However, his struggle through the Holocaust has made him a much more irritable and antisocial; as implied by those words spoken about him. Another thing is that he compulsively hoards everything and refuses to spend money on anything for himself or his wife. This trait originated from the dire need to save every last bit of food and money he had to survive in the