Maus:A Survivor's Tale Part 1
Maus is a graphic novel by the renowned American writer, Art Spiegelman. The book is basically an interview between the author and his father on survival. Have you read the book? Do you remember all about it? Find out below.
- 1.What do we gain from the deeply personal perspective of Vladek’s memories? What gets left out? (12.5 pts)
- 2.Why is Art so interested in his father’s story? How does the experience of writing his father’s story shed light on his tense relationship with his father? (12.5pts)
- 3.What are some of the broader historical and ethical issues in representing the Holocaust? (12.5pt)
- 4.The title of the book is My Father Bleeds History. What might be a reason for this title?
- A.
The father is often in battles and fights many fights in the book
- B.
The father is a survivor of a very difficult time in history, therefore history is 'in his blood'
- C.
The father gets into many fights with his son, and he constantly makes his son feel guilty regarding the past
- D.
The son has a great deal of sympathy for his father because of the battles he has fought.
- 5.The book is dedicated to 'Anja'. Who is Anja?
- A.
His father's wife at the telling of the story
- B.
His mother
- C.
His father's first wife
- D.
Both b and c
- 6.What country is the father from?
- A.
Czechoslovakia
- B.
Poland
- C.
Germany
- D.
Austria
- 7.The telling of the story is done using mice, pigs and cats. What do the mice represent in the story and why?
- A.
The mice represent the Jewish population because they were chased out of Europe and had to find many ways to survive, like mice do
- B.
The mice represent the Polish population because they were destroyed by the 'cats' of Germany
- C.
The mice represent the non-military citizens who helped the Jewish population survive the war
- D.
The mice represented the Jewish population because they were cute and talented creatures
- 8.Each chapter of the story is told as visits by Art to see his father, Vladek. One of the stories his father tells him is of his time as a soldier. How did his father get into the military?
- A.
He was drafted at the age of 22 after being deferred for a year after being too thin
- B.
He volunteered at the age of 22 after convincing his dad he wanted to join
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