Maus Final Essay What is an upstander? An upstander is someone who speaks or acts in support of someone who is being bullied or attacked. In Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus and Maus II a key character in the graphic novel is Vladek Spiegelman, who portrays the opposite characteristics of an upstander. Vladek is not an upstander for three reasons, he is selfish, racist, and controlling. A time that demonstrates that Vladek is not an upstander is when he is selfish towards his own wife, Mala. Art walks into the kitchen to find Mala crying about Vladek. Art empathetically asks mala, “‘Mala, were you crying”’ (Spiegelman, 130, 2). Mala responds by saying, “‘He only gives me $50.00 a month. When I need a new pair of stockings, I have to use my own savings”’ (Spiegelman, 130, 5). Mala is crying because Vladek refuses to spend nearly any of his money on her. Vladek …show more content…
An example of Vladek being racist is when he sees an African American hitch-hiker. The hitchhiker greets Vladek and subsequently Vladek says to Art, “‘A hitch-hiker? And- OY- it’s a colored guy, a shvartser”’ (Spiegelman, 98, 7). Vladek calls the African American person a racial slur. Therefore he does not seem to desire for Art to let him in. The quote shows an example of Vladek not being an upstanding person. If Vladek were an upstander he would at least not call the African American a racial slur. During the same encounter with the hitch-hiker, Vladek is racist another time. Art decided to pick up the hitch-hiker off of the road. Then while they are arguing Vladek says to Art, “‘It’s not even to compare, the Shvarsters and the Jews”’ (Spiegelman, 99, 6). In the quote, Vladek firmly tells Art that African American people be compared can not be compared to people of the Jewish religion. The quote is another example of Vladek being racist towards people of the African American race. In lieu of being an upstander, Vladek is feeding