one aspect i noticed upon finishing volume one of Maus is the actions of the father regarding his late wife. it was stated in the latter part of the volume that Vladek had burned all of Anja's writings and paperwork out of shear depression and rage. but why,is my first question. if my spouse or loved one passed away I would tend to cherish their things and keep them as a close reminder rather than incinerate them. By doing this Vladek killed Anja's own personal memories that could have been an important part of understanding his story from another angle.
another thing that troubled me was the fact that Artie called his father a murderer for destroying these documents and articles. what was Artie referring to? was it the fact that by detroying the documents Vladek in turn "murdered" his wife's memory? Or was it a unknown fact that Vladek may have been partly responsible for Anja's suicide?
I don't feel that Vladek was suggesting that his father was partly responsible for the suicide of Anja. I think that he was suggesting his father destroyed the memories of Anja and "murdered" her story. As far as why he destroyed the memories...yes he probably cherished them but it could have been too hard for him to look back and remember Anja, therefore to avoid the sadness he destroyed the memories.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I don't think that he was suggesting that his father played a part in Anja's suicide. It was just a way of saying that he "murdered" all of the memories she left behind because, now, no one will ever know what she really went through. And as for the burning of the diaries, I don’t really think that he should have done it but I understand why he did it. They went through a lot together and I’m sure he just couldn’t handle it anymore.
ReplyDeleteI would also agree that he wasn't suggesting anything alone the lines of his father playing a part in her suicide. I think he was referring to the fact that he killed the memory of Anja by destroying her story. The way the story ended with Artie's last word "Murdered," I almost get a sense of resentment. Whether or not he has any blame in his Mothers suicide he is bitter because his father killed the last part of his Mother he could still hold on to. I don't believe that his father needs any justification or reason for burning the diaries, maybe he thought they were too personal; or maybe some other reason that might be stated in the second volume.
ReplyDeleteI too agree that he was not suggesting his father killed his mother in anyway. In the book, there are several parts where his father showed his care for Anja. Such as at end of volume one, where he insist to give the food he saved from writing letter for a Pole to Anja. They just went through so much during the holocaust together, but Anja just left him several years after the war. It pains him to just realize that Anja isn't there with him anymore. That's at least why I think he burned Anja's dairies.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others that Vladek is being called a murderer in terms of his wife's memory, yet looking at the realtionship between Vladek and Mala maybe his seemily overbearing personality did have an influence on Anja's suicide. On a different note, it is hard for me to realte to the amount of distress Vladek, but like the others I agree that emotions that extreme can lead people to do anything such as burning his wife's story. Who do you guys side with in this confrontation, Vladek or Art? I feel for both sides, but I seem to feel more for the father. It seems that he realizes his mistakes and is apologetic, asking Art to visit more often, and I guess I have a soft spot for old people.
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else think it was strange that Spiegelman also called his mother a murderer in the last panel of "Prisoner on the Hell Planet"? That's quite a word to be tossing around... and I somehow don't think he's doing so carelessly.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that "murderer" is referring to Vladek as being the killer of his wife's memory. It is hard, however, not to notice the way he acts when interacting with his current wife. It makes me curious if he acted in the same manner when he was married to Anja. Art's reaction also sparked my interest. Though I agree that the loss of these diaries is tragic I can't help but wonder if there is something deeper behind his reaction. The way that he screams and calls his father a murderer makes me wonder if Art in anyway blames himself for his mother's suicide. By burning her diaries Vladek kills any piece of her that remained and if Art did blame himself it could explain his reaction.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else that Spiegalman called his father a murderer of his wife's memory, but for the wrong reason. He called his father a murderer because he wanted the diaries for his book, not his personal memory. In fact, the only reason why he goes to visit his father is for his book.
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