Chapter 3 Summary- Maus

Chapter 3:

Art returns again to Rego Park to visit his father. Vladek begins to tell Art about how he joined the army at 21, in 1939, and Vladek was sent to the German front. Vladek is captured by the Nazi Army and made POW's. The Jewish prisoners are forced to live outside in tents in the bitter autumn cold and are fed only crusts of bread, while the Polish prisoners stay inside in heated cabins and receive two meals a day.  He volunteers, and when he arrives at the camp, he is given his own bed and a full day to rest. The labor is hard work, literally moving mountains to flatten the terrain, and some men are too weak or old to do it. Vladek dreams of his grandfather, who tells him that he will be released from the camp on the day of Parshas Truma, a special event in the Jewish calendar. Three months later it is Parshas Truma, and the prisoners are released. He boards a train, which takes him through occupied Poland towards Sosnowiec, but the train travels past Sosnowiec. He is finally let off in Lublin, in the heart of the Reich Protectorate, where Vladek finds that the Jewish POW's where only released so that they weren't protected by the Polish Laws that protect prisoners so now the Jewish prisoners could be shot on site. In Lublin, Vladek is led to a camp of large tents and hears stories about the last train of prisoners that arrived at the camp, from which six hundred Jews were marched into the forest and killed. Jewish authorities in the camp have bribed the guards to release prisoners into the homes of nearby Jews, and Vladek tells them that he has a cousin in Lublin. Vladek runs immediately back into his tent. The next morning the cousin arrives, and Vladek is set free. A few days later, he boards a train for Sosnowiec. He does not have the proper traveling papers, but by pretending to be Polish, he enlists the help of a Polish train conductor, who hides him from the German soldiers. He arrives first at his parents' house. His father, a very religious man, has been forced by the Nazis to shave off his beard. Vladek then is reunited with Anja and his son, Richieu. In this chapter you also see the controlling nature of Vladek and the tension between father and son when Vladek throws out Art's coat. 

There are four main themes in chapter three of Maus. They are family, love, survival and war. 

In this chapter it shown the beginning of Vladek's hardships and the start of his involvement in the holocaust and WW2 it also shows the alterations to his personality as of his experiences in the war, such as his slight OCD and his interference with Art's life. The reader learns about how Art acts towards his father in this chapter is shows his frustration with his fathers compulsive tendencies and how he tends to get side tract. But it also shown Art being very dismissive of his father worries about Mala which leaves the reader questioning whether he cares a lot about his father. Mala is shown to the reader to be a bit sadistic because of the way Vladek talks to Art about her trying to steal his money. 

Vladek throws away his son's coat at the end of the chapter, behavior that stands in sharp contrast to his overwhelming compulsion to save. The best explanation for this seemingly uncharacteristic behaviour lies in Vladek's reasons for saving. It becomes clear that Vladek wishes all of his money to be left to his son. His compulsive saving, then, reflects his desire for his son to live a good and prosperous life. Vladek is therefore offended by the sight of his son wearing an old and shabby coat, and he conspires to replace it with one that he thinks is better.Chapter 3 also elaborates on the book's discussions of race and class. When Vladek boards a train from Lublin back to Sosnowiec, he is drawn wearing the mask of a pig, signifying that he is hiding his Jewish identity by pretending to be Polish. So the author is suggesting that race and nationality are only man-made classifications and that underneath these masks, we are all more alike than we are different.

Spiegelman uses flashbacks and the animal categories he puts different religions and nationalities into. This flashbacks helps the reader to understand the themes more by letting the reader see Vladek in the war and after the war so that the reader is able to see the change in his personality. The flashbacks also help with showing the perspectives of Art and Mala. The masks that categorise the characters in Maus are helpful for the reader as they show the discrimination of the people during the war and also to make it clear to the reader who is who. 

Paragraph Response: Chain of Hearts Cont...

1. Uncle Jimmy is integral to Sophie’s emotional recovery. What does he do that helps her rebuild her confidence and find happiness?

Jimmy’s help is integral to Sophie’s recovery; he introduces her to pottery, which she finds soothing and calming. It helps her to find herself and fill her time with something more productive. “What about you making us something?... I wish I could but I cant sew or knit or cook and I’ve never done any artwork… Actually I can make pots”(P237) This was the start of Sophie beginning to start making pots. Jimmy was the one to convince her to make the pots, which begin her recovery.  “And there was Sophie. The girl coming alive before my eyes. The pots she was making where ordinary enough. Nothing wrong with them, but basically just plain dishes and simple little vases and things to put plants in… Jimmy acts as if hey are the most beautiful things he’s ever seen… I can see she’s touched by Jimmy’s high praise.”(P247) Jimmy gives Sophie some confidence back by praising her work and makes her feel good about herself. This is important to her recovery because a lot of her problem is feeling like she has no idea what she wants to do with her life and that she is worthless, but the pottery seems to give her meaning and worth. 

Paragraph Responses: Chain of Hearts

Chain of Hearts: Extended Responses

1. Geraldine and Fran had events from their past that ruined their relationship as sisters. Explain what unfolded between these two women that led to their hatred of each other (include direct quotations). Who do you think was in the wrong? Do you think Geraldine should forgive Fran or was she right to hold a grudge against her?

Fran and Geraldine’s relationship is shown to be extremely rocky right from the start of the novel. There is one event that starts to crumble the relationship between the two sisters. When Geraldine’s fiancée Paul calls of their wedding and Fran isn’t entirely supportive and finds herself falling for Paul. “In an answer to your question I knew then that I absolutely shouldn’t marry Gerry… Because at that moment I was looking at you and thinking, I wish it was Fran. She’s the one I really love.” (Page 59) This was the moment where their relationship began to show its first sign of cracks. Even though Fran didn’t think that Geraldine knew that Paul was in love with her it would have made it uncomfortable between the two because of Fran’s feeling of guilt. “If you remember, I also loved Paul Healey’… ‘Can I ever forget I had my first love affair with you ex-fiancée?”(P332) At this moment the reader realises that Geraldine knew about her affair with Paul and doesn’t react in the way you think she would. She acts as if she has nothing to be ashamed of and taunts Geraldine. This part of the novel shows you a huge crack in their relationship and you see why Geraldine holds such a strong grudge against Fran. I believe that Geraldine has a right to be angry and hold a grudge at Fran but she should move on and forgive Fran for having an affair with Paul. She is happily married to Robert and shouldn’t still be upset because is she had married Paul she would have been in a loveless marriage and would have never found Robert and have the life that she does now. 

Show Don't Tell

Show Don't Tell:

Tell: The wizard was ugly and evil. The people of the town were terrified of him. He enjoyed threatening them, especially the children. He was cruel and greedy.

Show: We heard his vicious cackle before we saw him. He sauntered into the room everyone in the town cowered into the closest corner hoping he would leave them alone today. One boy dared to look him in the face and as he looked it was as if hell had frozen over. The boy was shaking with fear as he looked at him, like a deer stuck in headlights, he was unmoving. The crude image of the wizard is what made him freeze. The wizard was a foul and horrific man who had a face that even the outcasts and lepers look beautiful in comparison. The wizard, tired of tormenting the boy with his face, leaned down and swiped at the boys ankle the boy shrieked out in horror as the strung the boy up in the air by his foot. Tipping the contents of his pockets onto the floor. He scooped up the money and left the room laughing hysterically to him self. The room was silent the only sound was the whimpering of the small boy cowering on the floor in terror.

Tell: The Knight was arrogant and greedy. He did not want to help others. He only wanted to be viewed as the most handsome and talented warrior in the land.

Show: Will sauntered into the castle laughing obnoxiously and boasting about his last kill. Everyone in the castle rolled his or her eyes at his presence. The king sat listening patiently to the knight’s dull and unpleasant recount of how he slaughtered an innocent man because he didn’t take care of his house to perfection. The king would not deal with him if he wasn’t such a ruthless and brutal fighter but he got the job done so he had to be tolerated by all.

Tell: The peasants were kind and helpful. They were hard working and honest people. They were scared to drawing the attention of the wizard.

Show: As we approached the town I was overwhelmed by the sheer kindness of the people of the town showering us with gifts of food and precious gems and metals, all because we where new to the town. I was not accustom to this kind of kindness so me and my companion Ryle where on edge expecting the worst. But the worst never came theses people where just genuinely beautiful people who wanted to give. Ryle and I where just beginning to relax when everything stopped and the largest and most hideous man I have ever seen entered the centre of the town. All of the villagers dispersed and ran indoors. As I looked around it was only Ryle, the mysterious man and I standing in the village centre. I knew this wasn’t going to be a nice encounter.

Tell: The land was beautiful, but harsh. The town was safe from the elements, but outside could be dangerous if one did not take precautions.

Show: As I look across the magnificent landscape I catch my breath. It’s the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever laid eyes on. I can smell the sweet scent of pine trees and lilies. This is heaven on earth. Huge snow topped mountains emerge behind the vast meadow before me filled with daisies and scattered black berry bushes. I was the only one that had ever laid eyes of this scene. No one else ever left the town they where all to scared of the dangers that lurked beyond the lining of trees around the meadow. But I didn’t believe that there was anything here capable of harming me. They village elders just made the rules to try and control us they where just old and scared of the unknown.

Using Your Senses:

Situation to re-write: It was time for breakfast.

Sense: Smell/Taste

The mouthwatering smells of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup waft up the stairs to my room. My mouth waters with anticipation, I can almost taste the food. As I race down the stairs I can hear the sizzle of the bacon in the pan. I immediately run and scoop up on of the pancakes off the large stack on the corner of our mahogany kitchen bench, rolling it up and shoving every last morsel of it into my mouth. The thick sticky maple syrup slides down my throat.

Situation to re-write: It was a dark and stormy night Sense: Hear

The thunder clapped again seeming to shake the whole house. The Labrador outside continues to whine and shake insensately making a lump form in my throat, I know how he feels. There’s another clap of thunder and I feel the earth may split in two right at this instant. I am wishing for the storm to end when bold of lightning rips through the sky and lights it up like a super nova. It’s going to be a long night…

Situation to re-write: She cuddled up to her teddy bear Sense: Touch/Feel

I look inside Millie’s bedroom. She has finally cried herself out and I think she’s asleep. Millie’s curled up in a little ball her cheeks stained with tears she’s gripping her teddy so hard I feel it’s head may explode. She loves that bear it is her lifeline, her one comfort in life. It’s once mink soft fur is now scraggly and stained from too much love and smothering. She refuses to wash it so it remains one of the ugliest bears I have ever seen but she loves it and I’m am glad that she has something in this live she can love so much it is now in ruins I envy her for that.

Situation to re-write: They were walking down the street in the city Sense: Sight

The gleaming lights are blinding making me squint to the point everything is slightly fuzzy. It is like nothing I have ever need before, the lite up billboards and the soaring skyscrapers. I imagine being up at the very to of the buildings looking out over the city the cars and people running around like little ants. I come back into reality with the honk of a taxi as it almost runs me over as I cross the road, the driver screams profanities at me and flips me off. But I ignore him; I am so caught up in the beauty of this bright city. Its 10 at night but it may as well be morning with the amazing light blaring at me the way they do.