The Prisoner On The Hell Planet Summary

A distressed writer in a mouse mask hovers painfully over his desk. Outside his window, a crematorium is visible and an Auschwitz soldier, snarling in the background, is prepared to fire his gun at a moment’s notice. Through this disturbing picture, Art Spiegelman, author of the Maus volumes, bridges the distance between the Holocaust and the present. Sharing his father Vladeck’s survival story in comic form, the horrific image of the torture endured by Jews reveals how survivors continue to be haunted and affected by their past. In this moving narrative, Spiegelman attempts to understand Vladeck’s experiences during the Holocaust in the hope of mending their turbulent relationship, informing others of the struggles Jews faced and emphasizing

When interviewing Vladeck about his mother, Anja, Art rediscovers his old underground comic, “The Prisoner on the Hell Planet.” In this grim retelling, he describes the life of his parents in America after liberation. Although Anja physically survived the Holocaust, she was not mentally stable the following years. The painful memories of living in inhumane conditions, being starved, forced to work tirelessly, and being in constant fear of her life drove her into a deep state of depression. The Holocaust had left Anja as the sole survivor in her tight-knit family. Even when surrounded by her husband and child, she still was unable to bear the pain, resulting in her to eventually commit suicide. In this moment, Art recognizes that the struggles continued even after the Holocaust ended. Survivors had to carry the burden of their memories; people could never truly understand the unspeakable torture that they endured. Trying to convince Vladeck that his story is worth sharing, Art argues, “But Pop- It’s great material. It makes everything more real- more human” (23). Basing his novel on true experiences, Art hopes that it will serve as a reminder to all that the Holocaust was a real, traumatizing event in history that forever changed the lives of millions. To further support his idea, he includes real photographs of Vladeck and Anja’s family. Through his parents’ lives, Art demonstrates how from the past, one can learn and make a positive impact in the