Character Analysis in "MAUS - A Survivor's Tale"

Art Spiegelman's Graphic Novel Nationalsozialismus, "MAUS," presents a cast of complex characters, each shaped by their experiences during and after the Holocaust. This page focuses on the main characters and their roles within the narrative.

Vladek Spiegelman

Vladek Spiegelman, the central figure of the story, is a Polish Jew who survived the Holocaust and later moved to the United States in the early 1950s. His character is multifaceted and often challenging, displaying traits that reflect both his survival instincts and the lasting impact of his traumatic experiences.

Highlight: Vladek's character traits include being miserly, anal-retentive, egocentric, neurotic, obsessive, anxious, and obstinate. While these qualities may have contributed to his survival in the concentration camps, they now cause significant friction within his family.

Vladek's broken English serves as a constant reminder of his immigrant status and the cultural divide between him and his American-born son, Art. This linguistic barrier adds another layer to the complex father-son relationship that forms a central part of the narrative.

Example: Vladek's racist attitudes, such as his fear of being robbed by an African American hitchhiker, demonstrate the complexity of his character. These prejudices stand in stark contrast to his own experiences of persecution, highlighting the intricate nature of trauma and its effects on an individual's worldview.

Anja Spiegelman

Anja Spiegelman, Art's mother and Vladek's first wife, is portrayed as a nervous, compliant, and clinging individual. Her character arc is marked by tragedy and mental health struggles.

Definition: Nervous breakdown - A period of mental illness resulting from severe depression, stress, or anxiety.

Anja experiences her first nervous breakdown after giving birth to her first son, foreshadowing the emotional challenges she would face throughout her life. Despite surviving the Holocaust alongside Vladek, Anja ultimately succumbs to her inner turmoil, taking her own life by slitting her wrists in a bathtub.

Quote: "She sometimes told Art about the Holocaust while he was growing up, although his father did not want him to know about it."

This quote reveals the tension between Anja's desire to share her experiences with her son and Vladek's reluctance to discuss the past, highlighting the different ways survivors cope with trauma.

Mala Spiegelman

Mala Spiegelman, Vladek's second wife, is also a Holocaust survivor. Her relationship with Vladek is strained, as she constantly feels compared to Anja.

Highlight: Art makes no attempt to learn of Mala's Holocaust experience, focusing instead on his father's story. This omission raises questions about the selectivity of memory and representation in Holocaust narratives.

Françoise Mouly

Françoise Mouly, Art's wife, brings an outsider's perspective to the family dynamics. As a French woman who converted to Judaism to please Art's father, her character highlights the ongoing impact of the Holocaust on subsequent generations.

Vocabulary: Anthropomorphism - The attribution of human characteristics or behavior to animals or objects.

Spiegelman's struggle with how to represent Françoise in the animal metaphor of the book (as a Jewish mouse, a French frog, or another animal) underscores the complexity of identity and representation in "MAUS."

Through these richly drawn characters, Spiegelman creates a nuanced portrayal of Holocaust survivors and their families, exploring themes of memory, trauma, and the challenges of cross-generational communication. The Art Spiegelman Maus Analyse reveals how the graphic novel format allows for a unique exploration of these complex issues, making "MAUS" a powerful and enduring work of Holocaust literature.