Vladek Quotes

Six out of nine million Jews living in Europe were killed during the Holocaust, but Vladek Spiegelman was not one of them. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman tells the suspenseful story of how Vladek was captured by the Nazis, and what he had to do in order to survive. Although Vladek’s experience in concentration camps caused him to lose his ability to trust, he was able to gain gratefulness and become more attached to his family. Although he learned many valuable lessons, Vladek also lost an important trait: his ability to trust. A quote that shows that loss is this: “Friends? Your friends? If you lock them together in a room with no food for a week… Then you could see what it is, friends! …” (6) Vladek is referring to an experience

An example would be this: “Hmmm… you’re number starts with 17. In Hebrew that’s ‘K’minyan Tov.’ Seventeen is a very good omen. It end with a 13, the age a Jewish boy becomes a man. And look! Added together it totals 18. That’s ‘Chai,’ the Hebrew number of life” (18). This quote is from Vladek’s time in captivity, and explains how a religious man that he met gave him hope. He showed him how to look on the bright side when he was feeling low, and therefore caused him to be more grateful for the little things instead of dwell on larger problems. Another quote that shows his newfound gratefulness is this: “I cannot forget it...ever since Hitler I don’t like to throw out even a crumb” (238). This is showing Vladek after the war, and how he is thankful for his food. During his days in the camps, he barely had anything, and now that he does, he does not like to waste it. He has learned to be increasingly grateful for things, such as food, that many people take for granted, and feels it is unfair to those who don’t have such things to waste it. The war has opened Vladek’s eyes to many things that he had not been appreciative of enough