CHAPTER 1
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 1: "Mauschwitz"
Maus II is dedicated to Richieu and Nadja. Can you identify these two children?
What is the significance of the number 175113?
Who is Francoise? Why is Art Spiegelman unsure of how to draw her?
Vladek calls and says that he has had a heart attack. What really happened?
What is your reaction to Mala's sudden departure?
How does Artie feel about Richieu?
Compare Francoise to Anja and Mala: (the other two major female characters in Maus).
-List positive attributes of each of these characters.
-List any negative attributes of each of these characters.
-List the reasons that each of these characters might appeal to Artie.
Vladek makes a huge fuss about matches and salt, even though they are very inexpensive.
-Why is this so important to Vladek?
-Why might this be a problem for him in his life?
The Karps are also Auschwitz survivors.
-How are they similar to Vladek?
-How is their situation different than Vladek's?
Do Artie and Francoise have a restful vacation at Vladek's bungalow in the Catskills?
-Why or why not?
Vladek continues to tell his story to Artie. We see our first glimpses of the living nightmare which was Auschwitz. Vladek says: "They took from us our papers, our clothes and our hair..."
-What does he specifically mean by this statement?
-Why did the Germans process new arrivals to Auschwitz in this manner?
Consider how clothes were given to the prisoners. Why did the Germans use this method?
A fellow prisoner, who is a Polish priest, tells Vladek about his number.
-List three reasons why Vladek's number is auspicious.
-How do these details help Vladek to better cope with the conditions of Auschwitz?
Why is Mandelbaum's situation funny? Why is it sad?
How is Vladek able to help the Kapo? How does this benefit Vladek? Mandelbaum?
Vladek tells Artie a story about playing Bingo at The Pines.
-Why is this story important enough to include in Maus II?
-How might it help us to have more sympathy for the old man version of Vladek?
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
CHAPTER 2
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 2: "Auschwitz (Time Flies)"
( T / F ) In just nine days, May 16 to May 24, 1944, over 100,000 Hungarian Jews were gassed at Auschwitz.
( T / F ) Art Spiegelman did not want to adapt Maus into a movie or television special.
When was Nadja Mouly Spiegelman born? Did Vladek or Anja ever get to see her during their lifetimes?
Why do you think Artie has "shrunk-down" to child size? What point is Spiegelman trying to make?
Artie's therapist, Pavel, says: "You think it's admirable to survive. Does that mean it's not admirable to not survive?"
-What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?
Artie quotes a line by Samuel Beckett: "Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness."
-What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?
After the session with Pavel, Artie "grows-back" into his normal size. How can you explain this?
Artie listens to his conversation with Vladek, hears himself yell at Vladek, and becomes small again.
-Why does Spiegelman choose to keep drawing attention to this? Do you think this technique is effective?
Why does the tin shop foreman, Yidl, dislike Vladek? What does Vladek do to change Yidl's opinion?
Who helps Vladek establish and maintain contact with Anja? Why does she help Vladek and Anja?
How does Vladek become a shoemaker? Why is this a good job for him to have?
How is Vladek able to help Anja survive Auschwitz? Would she have survived without his assistance?
What is Vladek's second job as a tin man? What were the Germans trying to do then?
Vladek sees the gas chambers and crematoriums at Auschwitz, yet he was able to live to tell the story.
-Does Vladek's description of those places help you to better understand what happened at Auschwitz?
Is the scene with Artie and Francoise, on page 74, ironic? What is Spiegelman reminding us about?
-Why do we not care about the mosquitos that Artie kills with his can of poison gas?
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 2: "Auschwitz (Time Flies)"
( T / F ) In just nine days, May 16 to May 24, 1944, over 100,000 Hungarian Jews were gassed at Auschwitz.
( T / F ) Art Spiegelman did not want to adapt Maus into a movie or television special.
When was Nadja Mouly Spiegelman born? Did Vladek or Anja ever get to see her during their lifetimes?
Why do you think Artie has "shrunk-down" to child size? What point is Spiegelman trying to make?
Artie's therapist, Pavel, says: "You think it's admirable to survive. Does that mean it's not admirable to not survive?"
-What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?
Artie quotes a line by Samuel Beckett: "Every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness."
-What does he mean by this? Do you agree with him?
After the session with Pavel, Artie "grows-back" into his normal size. How can you explain this?
Artie listens to his conversation with Vladek, hears himself yell at Vladek, and becomes small again.
-Why does Spiegelman choose to keep drawing attention to this? Do you think this technique is effective?
Why does the tin shop foreman, Yidl, dislike Vladek? What does Vladek do to change Yidl's opinion?
Who helps Vladek establish and maintain contact with Anja? Why does she help Vladek and Anja?
How does Vladek become a shoemaker? Why is this a good job for him to have?
How is Vladek able to help Anja survive Auschwitz? Would she have survived without his assistance?
What is Vladek's second job as a tin man? What were the Germans trying to do then?
Vladek sees the gas chambers and crematoriums at Auschwitz, yet he was able to live to tell the story.
-Does Vladek's description of those places help you to better understand what happened at Auschwitz?
Is the scene with Artie and Francoise, on page 74, ironic? What is Spiegelman reminding us about?
-Why do we not care about the mosquitos that Artie kills with his can of poison gas?
CHAPTER 3
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 3: "...And Here My Troubles Began..."
What is Vladek counting at the beginning of Chapter 3? Why is this funny? Why is it sad?
Why is Vladek so concerned about not wasting food? Do you agree with him?
Artie wonders why the Jews in Auschwitz did not try harder to resist the Nazis.
-What risks were connected to resisting the Nazis?
-What were the advantages of cooperating with the Nazis?
-What was an obvious disadvantage of always cooperating with the Nazis?
Why does Vladek's plan to escape from Auschwitz fail?
Vladek marches nearly 200 miles from Auschwitz to Gross-Rosen.
-What happens to the people who cannot keep up?
Next, Vladek is packed into a train cattle car with about 200 other prisoners.
-How does he survive that ordeal? (hint: there is no food or water in the train car).
-Does it surprise you that Vladek shows little concern for all those who died in his train car? (he says "They closed us again. We were very happy, we had now room where to stand.")
On page 89, Francoise says, "I'll bet you that Anja's notebooks were written on both sides of the page..."
-What does her comment tell you about how she views Vladek?
Where do Vladek's troubles begin? (hint: not in Auschwitz) .
What is the number one killer in Dachau? (hint: it is what almost kills Vladek).
How does Vladek "organize" so that he and his French friend were always able to get soup?
How is Vladek able to get on the train which carries him away from Dachau?
-(hint: how does he "pay" for the assistance of others).
Francoise picks up a friendly hitch-hiker; but Vladek is outraged.
-Why does Vladek object so strongly to the hitch-hiker? (hint: what characteristic of the hitch-hiker?)
-What does Vladek think the hitch-hiker will do?
-Does this incident surprise you, considering how well Vladek usually gets along with strangers?
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 3: "...And Here My Troubles Began..."
What is Vladek counting at the beginning of Chapter 3? Why is this funny? Why is it sad?
Why is Vladek so concerned about not wasting food? Do you agree with him?
Artie wonders why the Jews in Auschwitz did not try harder to resist the Nazis.
-What risks were connected to resisting the Nazis?
-What were the advantages of cooperating with the Nazis?
-What was an obvious disadvantage of always cooperating with the Nazis?
Why does Vladek's plan to escape from Auschwitz fail?
Vladek marches nearly 200 miles from Auschwitz to Gross-Rosen.
-What happens to the people who cannot keep up?
Next, Vladek is packed into a train cattle car with about 200 other prisoners.
-How does he survive that ordeal? (hint: there is no food or water in the train car).
-Does it surprise you that Vladek shows little concern for all those who died in his train car? (he says "They closed us again. We were very happy, we had now room where to stand.")
On page 89, Francoise says, "I'll bet you that Anja's notebooks were written on both sides of the page..."
-What does her comment tell you about how she views Vladek?
Where do Vladek's troubles begin? (hint: not in Auschwitz) .
What is the number one killer in Dachau? (hint: it is what almost kills Vladek).
How does Vladek "organize" so that he and his French friend were always able to get soup?
How is Vladek able to get on the train which carries him away from Dachau?
-(hint: how does he "pay" for the assistance of others).
Francoise picks up a friendly hitch-hiker; but Vladek is outraged.
-Why does Vladek object so strongly to the hitch-hiker? (hint: what characteristic of the hitch-hiker?)
-What does Vladek think the hitch-hiker will do?
-Does this incident surprise you, considering how well Vladek usually gets along with strangers?
CHAPTER 4
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 4: "Saved"
On pages 102 and 103 we once again see conflict between Artie and Vladek.
-What is Vladek's main concern?
-What blocks Vladek from readily achieving his goal?
-What is Artie's main concern?
-What blocks Artie from readily achieving his own goal?
On page 105 we learn that the war is over; yet Vladek does not immediately gain his freedom.
-Why not? Why didn't the German soldiers put down their weapons and surrender?
-The German soldiers had planned to kill Vladek and his comrades at the lake. Why didn't they?
-After their reprieve, why didn't Vladek and his comrades keep the abandoned Nazi machine guns?
-Does it surprise you that Vladek and his comrades get captured again by the Nazis?
Pages 109 to 111 find Vladek once again hiding from the Nazis.
-Can you list all the places that Vladek has hidden in Maus and Maus II?
-How does this fit in with Spiegelman's sustained anthropomorphic metaphors?
-Can a mouse ever be a heroic character, or are they necessarily passive creatures? Why or why not?
Why do the American soldiers like Vladek?
What treasure does Vladek find for Artie?
Can you list six things that Vladek's treasure teaches Artie about his family's history?
These items are priceless, yet Vladek wants to keep the cigar box where he has been storing them.
-Why does this seem so odd to us?
-Why would this seem like perfectly acceptable behavior to Vladek?
What do you think really happened to the other valuables which Vladek and Anja left with Richieu's Polish governess, Janina?
Given the choice, would you prefer to have the treasure Artie gets, or those other valuables that "the Nazi's grabbed away"?
Chapter 4 ends with Vladek worrying about storm windows. Why does this matter so much to him?
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 4: "Saved"
On pages 102 and 103 we once again see conflict between Artie and Vladek.
-What is Vladek's main concern?
-What blocks Vladek from readily achieving his goal?
-What is Artie's main concern?
-What blocks Artie from readily achieving his own goal?
On page 105 we learn that the war is over; yet Vladek does not immediately gain his freedom.
-Why not? Why didn't the German soldiers put down their weapons and surrender?
-The German soldiers had planned to kill Vladek and his comrades at the lake. Why didn't they?
-After their reprieve, why didn't Vladek and his comrades keep the abandoned Nazi machine guns?
-Does it surprise you that Vladek and his comrades get captured again by the Nazis?
Pages 109 to 111 find Vladek once again hiding from the Nazis.
-Can you list all the places that Vladek has hidden in Maus and Maus II?
-How does this fit in with Spiegelman's sustained anthropomorphic metaphors?
-Can a mouse ever be a heroic character, or are they necessarily passive creatures? Why or why not?
Why do the American soldiers like Vladek?
What treasure does Vladek find for Artie?
Can you list six things that Vladek's treasure teaches Artie about his family's history?
These items are priceless, yet Vladek wants to keep the cigar box where he has been storing them.
-Why does this seem so odd to us?
-Why would this seem like perfectly acceptable behavior to Vladek?
What do you think really happened to the other valuables which Vladek and Anja left with Richieu's Polish governess, Janina?
Given the choice, would you prefer to have the treasure Artie gets, or those other valuables that "the Nazi's grabbed away"?
Chapter 4 ends with Vladek worrying about storm windows. Why does this matter so much to him?
CHAPTER 5
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 5: "The Second Honeymoon"
Chapter 5 begins with Artie listening to a tape recording of Vladek describing Richieu's death.
-What literary device is Art Spiegelman using here?
-Why is that portion of Vladek's tape so important to the story as a whole?
-How might things have been different if Tosha and the children had survived the war?
On page 121, why does Mala call Artie?
-How did Mala and Vladek get back together?
-Do you consider their reunion a good thing? (why or why not?).
Vladek sees a small plane, which reminds him of when he and Anja left Poland after the war.
-Why didn't Vladek and Anja just stay in Poland?
-Why do you think Jewish people might have instinctively chosen to leave Poland after the war?
Vladek is a successful businessman in Sweden, and Artie is born as a Swedish citizen.
-If Sweden is such a good place, why does Anja insist on moving to New York? (hint: see page 114).
Shivek's brother is happily married to a gentile. What is different about his children? (hint: see page 131).
Anja has her fortune told by a Gypsy moth. Why does that experience give her hope?
On page 136, when Vladek is finally reunited with Anja, he says with great sincerity: "More I don't need to tell you. We were both very happy, and lived happy, happy ever after".
-Considering what you have read in Maus and Maus II, why is this such a sad and ironic statement?
Vladek's last line in the book is "I'm tired from talking, Richieu, and it's enough stories for now..."
-Why is this such a great line?
-What does it tell us about Vladek?
-What does it tell us about Artie?
-Why do you think Art Spiegelman chose to end his Maus books in this manner?
On page 136, we learn that Art Spiegelman worked on Maus and Maus II for 14 years: (1978-1991). We also learn that neither Anja nor Vladek lived long enough to see their stories published in book form.
-List three reasons why Vladek would approve of these books?
-List three reasons why Vladek would not approve of these books?
-List three reasons why Anja would approve of these books?
-List three reasons why Anja would not approve of these books?
Considering your answers to the previous question:
-Would Vladek and Anja be pleased to know that you have learned so much about their lives?
-Does your knowing their stories attach greater meaning and/or value to their lives?
Maus II Study Questions: Chapter 5: "The Second Honeymoon"
Chapter 5 begins with Artie listening to a tape recording of Vladek describing Richieu's death.
-What literary device is Art Spiegelman using here?
-Why is that portion of Vladek's tape so important to the story as a whole?
-How might things have been different if Tosha and the children had survived the war?
On page 121, why does Mala call Artie?
-How did Mala and Vladek get back together?
-Do you consider their reunion a good thing? (why or why not?).
Vladek sees a small plane, which reminds him of when he and Anja left Poland after the war.
-Why didn't Vladek and Anja just stay in Poland?
-Why do you think Jewish people might have instinctively chosen to leave Poland after the war?
Vladek is a successful businessman in Sweden, and Artie is born as a Swedish citizen.
-If Sweden is such a good place, why does Anja insist on moving to New York? (hint: see page 114).
Shivek's brother is happily married to a gentile. What is different about his children? (hint: see page 131).
Anja has her fortune told by a Gypsy moth. Why does that experience give her hope?
On page 136, when Vladek is finally reunited with Anja, he says with great sincerity: "More I don't need to tell you. We were both very happy, and lived happy, happy ever after".
-Considering what you have read in Maus and Maus II, why is this such a sad and ironic statement?
Vladek's last line in the book is "I'm tired from talking, Richieu, and it's enough stories for now..."
-Why is this such a great line?
-What does it tell us about Vladek?
-What does it tell us about Artie?
-Why do you think Art Spiegelman chose to end his Maus books in this manner?
On page 136, we learn that Art Spiegelman worked on Maus and Maus II for 14 years: (1978-1991). We also learn that neither Anja nor Vladek lived long enough to see their stories published in book form.
-List three reasons why Vladek would approve of these books?
-List three reasons why Vladek would not approve of these books?
-List three reasons why Anja would approve of these books?
-List three reasons why Anja would not approve of these books?
Considering your answers to the previous question:
-Would Vladek and Anja be pleased to know that you have learned so much about their lives?
-Does your knowing their stories attach greater meaning and/or value to their lives?
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Your Graphic Novel
Create a comic strip of a very serious event that has occured or will occur in your life. You may use any creature to represent you and other family, friends, or people. Please use www.chogger.com for a simplistic view of your comic.
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