Maus: Vol. I, Ch. 5
So, do you love it yet? Aren't you just wanting to read Vol II, too??
1. Discuss Art's comic strip "Prisoner on the Hell Planet." How does Mala react to the strip? Vladek?
2. After they are relocated from Sosnowiec to Srodula, what happens to the family?Shortly afterward, what happens to many children in Srodula? What later happens in Zawiercie (where Tosha and the children have gone)?
3. How do they get arrested by the Gestapo and how are they able to get out of detention?
4. What does Vladek have in his safe deposit box?How does he feel about Mala? Do you think his characterization of her is accurate?
Due: MIDNIGHT, Sunday, May 20
1. Discuss Art's comic strip "Prisoner on the Hell Planet." How does Mala react to the strip? Vladek?
2. After they are relocated from Sosnowiec to Srodula, what happens to the family?Shortly afterward, what happens to many children in Srodula? What later happens in Zawiercie (where Tosha and the children have gone)?
3. How do they get arrested by the Gestapo and how are they able to get out of detention?
4. What does Vladek have in his safe deposit box?How does he feel about Mala? Do you think his characterization of her is accurate?
Due: MIDNIGHT, Sunday, May 20
posted by RJS at
7:20 AM
6 Comments:
I will likely just finish up these blog questions tonight in order to read the second volume tomorrow. It's very captivating.
Art's comic strip "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" taps into his inner feelings on his mother's suicide, the feelings he never intended for his family to see. It's a very stark portrayal of an event that touched him deeply, and furthermore a particularly unsympathetic one, with quite a bit of anger apparent within. Mala was shocked, but not appalled by the comic, only surprised at how personal it was. She was sympathetic and willing to keep it from Art's dad. Vlad did end up seeing the comic, and was overwhelmed by the memories it brought back of Anja, but was glad enough that Art got it out of his system. Maybe he realized the parallel between himself and his son, who both have to deal with a painful past by venting and telling their stories. In the ghetto of Srodula, things became especially painful when the family lets their children be taken by a trusted Jew to a place where it's believed they'll all be safe. This appears to be a wise move when shortly afterwards the children of Srodula are massacred or taken away, but later the ghetto where the family's children have been sent is destroyed, and their caretaker decides to kill herself and the children before the Nazis could take them to the camps and prolong their suffering before emminent death. It was an extremely tragic scene, but a considerably more peaceful death. The rest of the familyhad to hide out in homemade bunkers, the final one being a chamber in the ceiling whose entrance was concealed by a chandelier. One day their hiding place was found out by a stranger in their house who testified that he had thought the house was empty. Despite the suspicions of a few of the residents, they took pity on him and sent him home with some food, but hours later the suspicions proved true: the Gestapo arrived and took the family into custody to wait for a van to Auschwitz. By bribing a cousin from a window, Vlad was able to save himself and his wife, but although he had paid for Anja's parent to be saved, the cousin never came back for them. He apparently thought the risk was too great. Vladek on the other hand never stopped taking risks. He had gone back after the war into a house where he had dropped some valuables, including the ring he gave Anja in America. Although he feels strongly that Mala only wants his money, his charaterization of her is way too harsh. In her eyes, it is Vladek who is incredibly stingy with his money, and he therefore has a huge amount of bias towards Mala and the things she wants to buy.
By
TheBishop, at Monday, May 14, 2007 7:48:00 PM
"Prisoner on the Hell Planet" is a fairly shocking comic on Anja's suicide and the immediate reaction of certain people. Vladek is extemely mournful, broken by his wife's suicide without a note. Art, returning from a mental hospital, is yet again broken down by the emotional moment. Vladek cried after reading the comic and became supposedly angry with Artie, but when actually speaking with Art, he appears calm. Mala was shocked at how personal the comic was, but admires its accuracy. The children of the family are taken to Zawiercie after Vladek and Anja arrive in Srodula, which if fortunate as the children of Srodula are soon rounded up and taken to Auschwitz. However, a few months later in Zawiercie, the Germans decided to send the entire populace to Auschwitz, which Tosha doesn't allow to happen to the children by giving them all poison. Vladek and Anja are later arrested by the Gestapo because of a traitor who revealed the hideout of Vladek's group of Jews. Vladek and Anja escape detention by working with friends in the Jewish police, carrying pails out of the holding area and getting away. Vladek has a cigarette case and lady's powder case made of gold in his safe deposit box. Vladek believes that Mala is only married to him for his money, which I believe is perhaps a part truth at most. She despises his attachment to money and things too much to be only in it for his money.
By
Unknown, at Thursday, May 17, 2007 5:54:00 PM
Art's comic strip "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" captures his feelings about his mother's suicide. He feels like it was all his fault and because he doesn't know the truth, he feels "imprisoned." Mala is shocked when she reads the comic for the first time, but she also feels it was very truthful. Vladek surprised me though. I assumed the comic strip would upset him and because of his dislike for Art's artwork, push him to scold Art. But he praised him, saying the comic helped Art relieve his feelings.
Almost as soon as the family arrives in Srodula, Persis, head of the Jewish council in Zawiercie, comes and offers to take Wolfe, Tosha, Bibi, Lonia, and Richiev back to Zawiercie. But, unfortunately, the family is split up and the remaining family members in Srodula never see them (the five taken to Zawiercie) again. Soon after, the Germans raided Srodula and took many children to Auschwitz. This made Vladek and the others happy they were able to get their children out. But little did they know, an evacuation occured in Zawiercie. Tosha refused to let her and the children to die in the gas chambers so she killed herself and the children.
Vladek became a master of hiding during the German evacuations of the ghettos, but one night when the family was going to look for food, they discovered a stranger in their house. This man claimed to have a starving family and was only looking for food, but he later came back with the Gestapo and the family was arrested and taken to wait to go to Auschwitz. Luckily, Vladek sees his cousin and begs for him to help the family get out. For a bit of money though, Jakov said he could get their other cousin, Haskel, to sneak them past the guards. Haskel comes the next day and takes Lolek. The day after, Haskel gets Vladek and Anja out, but he cannot help his in-laws escape because they are too old.
Vladek saved a few jewels from the chimney in the house in Srodula. He had a cigarette case, a 14-karat-gold lady's powder case, and also a diamond ring he gave to Anja when they came to the U.S. At the bank, Vladek reveals that Mala is manipulating him. She wants him to change his will and he believes she only married him for the money. After thinking about this for a moment, I've decided that Vladek's comments are true. She constantly complains about how she can't stand being with Vladek, that she doesn't think she can take much more, and how stingy he is with money. If she dislikes him so, why else would she stay with him?
By
taylor, at Sunday, May 20, 2007 10:10:00 PM
When Mala and Vladek see the comic they become very shocked that Artie would create such a thing. Mala becomes upset, but Vladek becomes even more upset because he love Anja so much and they went through so much together.
The family had to go into hiding in bunkers and eventually the children will either killed and sent to Auschwitz. If the children were crying then the Nazis would grab them by the ankles and sling them against the wall.
Their connections with the Jewish council really helped them out because they had cousins and family members with them, such as Malich. Vladek has gold stuff in his little box. He really doesn't like Mala, but not for a good reason. He doesn't like her because of what happened to Anja and he misses her.
By
jackson smith, at Monday, May 21, 2007 8:22:00 AM
Arts comic "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" was very moving and very personal on a deep level being involved with the suicide of his mother Anja. Art never really intended his father to see the comic strip, but created it anyway, and it displays his deepest feelings concerning the death of his mother and how he was left feeling after her death. Mala has a copy of the strip and tells Art that it was very shocking and very personal, and that when his father saw it, he fell all to pieces being in remembrance of the death of his wife. However, Vladek did say that he was glad Art got the memories and feelings of his mother out of his system. When the family goes to Srodula, many families are split up based on size, age, and capability to work. Some of these people are made to work hard conditions, marching to and from work. Eventually kids are taken from Srodula to Auschwitz. Eventually, it is ordered that Zaweircie is to be evacuated and everyone is to be sent to Auschwitz. Tosha hears news of this and resolves that she will not go to the gas chambers and neither will ehr children, so the three children, including Vladeks son were poisoned by Tosha and Tosha killed herself as well. Vladek and other Jews who have been staying together in a private bunker after this are eventually arrested when a Jewish man claims to have come across them by accident looking for food for his wife and child, but he is just a spy for the Gestapo and the men were taken to a part of srodula separated to where it was a ghetto within the ghetto. In Vladek's safe deposit box, we find that there is a cigarette cae and a lady's powder case that is 14 karat gold, and he had those with him in the Chandelier Bunker. Vladek is under the impression that Art should have access to his safe deposit box so that his savings will not go to taxes or to Mala, and he insists that Mala is after his money because she keeps asking him to change his will. However, Vladek's characterization of Mala are most likely innacurate because Mala hates Vladek's attachment to material things and not to people, but Mala is troubled by how stingy he is with his money, so she could be wanting his money, but not to the extent that Vladek insists.
By
gabriael, at Monday, May 21, 2007 9:30:00 PM
'Course I love it! It is a nice little book. And yeah, I'm gonna want to read II when we don't have exams all week...
Mala seems a little reluctant to talk about it, but she wasn't feeling negative towards it. She told Art that the book was very open. Vladek was very moved by it, and very upset at the reminders. After he had time to think it over he came back to Art and told him he was glad that he got those emotions off his chest.
The family's living quarters get progressively worse. The house is smaller and they have less food, less money, and less protection. In one raid, Anja's parents get taken to Aushwitz. Anja allows Riechieu to be taken with two other kids to be safe in another area. In that area, Soldiers come in and raid, taking mostly children, slamming those who scream too much against a wall. Tosha, who has taken the children, poisoned herself and the 3 children to save them from the gas.
One day while in the attic bunker, a stranger came by when they snuck out for food. They kept the stranger in the bunker for a bit but eventually let him go to his family. The stranger came back and ratted them out. They then got arrested and put in detention. Vladek, Anja, and their nephew got out because Vladek's cousin could be bribed to get them out (he was a police officer). Anja's parents were taken to Aushwitz.
Vladek kept a cigarrette case and valuable ladies' item in the safe deposite box from the chimney in the attic bunker from the second house in Srodula. Vladek is mad at Mala because to him, all she wants from him is his money. If Mala actually said that all she wanted was the money, I'd completely support Vladek's decision to tell the tart to sod off.
By
TeganLove, at Monday, May 21, 2007 10:56:00 PM
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