The Holocaust

The Holocaust is known to all of us in some manner. Maybe we know someone who survived this terrible event in history, or one has learned about it in school, either way, everyone has had some kind of knowledge about the horrible things that the Nazi party did to the European Jews during the Holocaust. The Holocaust took a great toll on many lives in one way or another, one in particular being Vladek Spiegleman. Vladek's personality underwent a huge change due to his experiences during World War II. His personality is so dynamic and it was the experiences that he made during the Holocaust that changed him so dramamtically.

In the beginning of Maus the reader is thrown into a scenario of the Author, Art's, many visits to his father's. Art and his father, Vladek starte a conversation about Vladek's past, but Vladek is very reluctant to discuss his past with anyone Vladek seems to be a very untrusting old man who is afraid of two major things. The main fear Vladek has is taping into his memories only to relive the pain he suffered and because of this Vladek has a fear of getting too close to anybody. He thinks that he will be betrayed in the same ay that he was before by many Germans and even his own friends. The way he is so cold-hearted to his second-wife also shows how unloving Vladek is too anybody who did not make the same exact experiences as he did. Even to his own son, Vladek has trouble opening up about personal memories and being loving and caring. All these bitter emotions that keep Vladek from being happy in his old age are casued from the painful memories of the Holocaust. Vladek's experiences during the war caused a dramatic change in him.

Before the war, Vladek has not at all a bitter, old miser. Not at all. He was a fun-loving young man with his whole future ahead of him. He didn't seem to have care in the world and was a happy bachelor. He eventually met Anja and sure enough they got married. His marriage with Anja really didn't change the way he ated to other people, he was still always enthusiastic. It wsn't until the war started the Vladek got a little more precautious about a few things. Whenever a bad thing would happen, Vladek would remain hopefull and trusted that things would go well for hima nd his family in the long run.

Even when Vladek had to fight in World War II and was put in a prisoner camp with the most terrible conditions he still seemed to keep faith. However, onew can slowly notice how Vladek becomes a martyr about food and any kind of valueable. It is antural that because

he didn't get much or had much, that he would be very careful about wasting anything. At times, hewas willing ot share, but he quickly realized that he had to fight for himself to survive and that everyone wsa responsible for themselves. He became a little careful about who his real friends