Mala: The Other Survivor's Story
Mala: The Other Survivor's Tale
The holocaust affected its survivors in many different ways. In Maus I and II, we learn that Vladek's experiences made him frugal, harsh, and gave him a strong work ethic. As a result, Vladek carried these traits to the extreme and distanced himself from those that he loved. Vladek treats Mala as if she is only concerned with his money. If that were the case, Mala would not have been likely to endure for as long as she did. Mala truly loves Valdek, which is a key reason why she married him, but even love cannot survive the trials that this relationship endured.
Mala also has a need for company. The ability to Mala to stay with Valdek juxtaposes their different reactions to the holocaust. Vladek's experiences made him cold and detached, he would not allow himself to see hope in anything. Life became a desperate struggle, while Mala reacted differently and sees hope. Mala survived the experience and has a sense that things will work out in the end. This may have been the key driving force, until the day when she lost hope and committed suicide. This is not stated directly, but is demonstrated by their individual reactions to the challenges of life.
The most important concept to remember about Mala is that she is a holocaust survivor too. Mala understands the reasons for Vladek's behavior better than anyone does, because she experienced the horrors herself. She may feel a sense of camaraderie with Vladek that others do not. She may see his reaction to society for what it is: a reasonable adaptation to what he experienced. This may make her much more tolerant than average regarding his behaviors. The complexities of Vladek's relationships are not revealed through conversation, but through how they get through the struggles that they face. This is symbolic of the silence that many holocaust survivors exhibited regarding their inner fears and feelings about the trauma that they experienced.
References
Spiegelman, Art. Maus: a Survivor's Tale. I: My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.
Spiegelman, Art. Maus: a Survivor's Tale. II: And Here My Troubles Began. New York: Pantheon Books, 1992.
The problem occurred with the New York Times Book Review as well, criss-crossing the Fiction and the Non-Fiction Best Seller Lists (69). Spiegelman responded with a letter to the editor: 'if you list were divided into literature and non-literature, I could gracefully accept the compliment as intended, but to the extent that 'fiction' indicates a work isn't factual, I feel a bit queasy. As an author, I believe I might
Maus vols. I and II Maus: The 'cat and mouse' game of Art Spiegelman's Maus One of the most striking aspects of the graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman by is the way in which it uses animal cartoon characters to illustrate one of the most tragic periods of human history. The animals create a visual expectation of playfulness that is undercut by the horrors the book chronicles. The victims of the
This 'floating' use of body parts and fluid use of human and mouse anatomical characteristics is another distinct feature of the graphic style of Maus. Frame 6 In this frame, we discover the source of the father's displeasure with Mala. Mala was putting Artie's coat on a wire hanger. The petty nature of this tantrum indicates the stress under which Artie's father labors. He is angry about small things, despite having