Maus:

The Impact of Systematic Dehumanization

The Final Solution started in 1933 with a mandate to boycott Jewish-run
businesses; Jews felt wary, but most non-Jewish Germans were apathetic or saw an
opportunity for economic advancement. No civilian understood the horrors to come. This
act of discrimination was the pebble of divisiveness wedged into the doorway that soon
opened to genocide and war. Adolf Hitler and his Schutzstaffel (SS) used propaganda and
escalating restrictions to systematically divide communities and dehumanize Jews. The
effects of the Holocaust echo through the lives and relationships of survivors; Art
Spiegelman is the son of two survivors, and in Maus he tells his fathers story of survival
to better understand their strained relationship. The graphic novel shows the Nazis slow
and deliberate restriction of economic, social, and cultural liberties, leading to
imprisonment and death for millions. In Maus, Art Spiegelman shows the consequences
of the Nazis methodical oppression through Richieus tragic story and Janinas transitory
loyalty; and he offers Vladeks racism as a warning that persecution is bred in seemingly
innocuous prejudices.
Spiegelman uses Richieus heartbreaking story to show the horrific choices facing
families because of the Nazis systematic liberty-restricting, dehumanization. It is a
generally accepted social norm that parents have a responsibility to protect their children,
and as Vladek witnesses the slow loss of his familys liberty, he begins to contemplate
the safest option for his son; the difficulty of the situation created by the Nazis meant that
for many Jews the best option was sending their children away, no matter the emotional
pain it caused. Offering Vladek an opportunity to hide Richieu with a Polish family until

the horrors are over, Mr. Ilzecki says to Vladek, we cant know whats going to happen
to US- but we must keep our children safe (Vol. I p. 81). Initially, Anja is angry at the
suggestion and promises to never let go of her baby; her emotional distress is evident in
Spieglemans illustration on page 81 of volume I, she clutches to Richieu, brows
furrowed with dark circles around her eyes. After Jewish liberty is further restricted by a
registry and selection in the ghetto, Anja and the Zylberburgs determine, things are
worse now.. we have no choice (vol. I p. 107).
Anja and Vladek send their son away, hoping they are giving him a better chance
at survival; proving the effectiveness of the Nazis oppression to destroy even the closest
of alliances. Vladek finds comfort in his decision to send Richieu away when he witness
the Nazis take a large group of people, mostly children, to Auschwitz. Unfortunately,
Richieus story comes to a tragic end when the Nazis decided to liquidate the ghetto
where Persis had taken Tosha, Wolfe, and the children for safety. Tosha poisons herself
and the children, perceiving this death to be a better choice than being captured by the
Nazis and sent to the gas chambers. Speiglemans illustrations of children being
victimized by the Nazis on page 108 serve as a poignant foil to the illustrations of
Toshas deadly choice on page 109, showing there werent any good options for Jewish
families in the face of Nazi persecution.
The Nazis recognized the benefit of dividing families and creating suspicion
amongst communities, and Spiegelman shows the pervasive mistrust through many small
vignettes in Maus. Janina, Richieus Polish Governess, demonstrates the fleeting nature
of loyalty in the Nazi controlled Ghettos. Before the Nazis had moved the Jews into
Ghettos, Vladek and Anja employed Janina as a governess. One day, Vladek comes home

saddened by, another riot downtown today Everyone yelling, Jews out! Even two
people killed. The Police just watched (vol. I p. 37). Anja is unsurprised that the Nazis
can easily motivate the Poles to anger towards the Jews, and Janina rebukes, Mrs.
Spiegelman- how can you say such a thing. I think of you as part of my own family!
(vol. I p. 37). Through Janinas response, Spiegelman shows two things: one, people are
quick to defend against generalizations about their own people, but are often silent about
discrimination and generalizations experienced by other groups of people; two, people
say one thing and do another when faced with torture or death.
Later, Janina directly contradicts her filial proclamation when Vladek and Anja
are looking for shelter and protection; she cries, youll bring trouble! Go away!
Quickly! (vol. I p. 136) and slams the door. Through Janinas shifting loyalty,
Spiegelman exhibits the Nazi regime propagated fear to effectively promote divisiveness
by threatening death or torture to anyone who spoke out and rewarding anyone who
complied with their will. Spiegelman shows one device the Nazis used to promote
division on page 82 of volume I, in the center frame there is a sign offering a reward for
anyone who finds an unregistered Jew; for people and families who are starving, the
greater good becomes trivial compared to their own survival. There is no evidence that
Janina was a horrible person, and she should not be condemned for being motivated by
self-preservation.
Throughout Maus, Spiegelman includes many characters motivated by selfpreservation (many die anyway) showing how significant Nazi control was, and to
prompt the reader to critically analyze peoples actions outside of the stark alternatives:
good and evil. Through Vladeks racism, Spiegelman shows the ubiquitous nature of

prejudice, and offers a warning that oppression gains strength from discrimination. On
pages 99-100 of volume II, Vladek shows his racism when Francoise stops to pick up a
black hitchhiker. Vladek uses a derogatory Yiddish term, and clearly expresses his
prejudice to his son and daughter-in-law. Francoise exclaims, how can you, of all
people, be such a racist! You talk about the blacks the way the Nazis talked about the
Jews! (vol. II p. 99) Vladek does not understand the correlation. While telling his story,
Vladek expresses frustration about generalizations made about all Jews; additionally, he
recounts many people stole food and other supplies because of starvation and the struggle
to survive in Auschwitz, and he absolves his fellow prisoners because of the
circumstances. He fails to recognize his own generalization of all black Americans,
because of one experience; furthermore, he is blind to the discrimination and subjugation
causing many African-Americans to starve and struggle to survive in the United States.
Spiegelman offers this scene as a piece of advice to his readers to apply the lessons of
Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, and to highlight how easily ones oppression can be
forgotten and replaced with prejudice against another group of people. Spiegelman
illuminates that with the benefit of retrospect, it is easy to wonder how so many people
were complicit in the degradation and murder of millions of people; Adolf Hitler did
create prejudice against the Jewish people, he used the existing bias to discriminate and
strengthen his authority.
Hitler and the Nazis used fear, propaganda, and escalating restrictions on freedom
to control and murder millions of people. Through Richieus experience, Janinas
fluctuating loyalty, and Vladeks racism, Art Speigelman shows the outcome of Nazis
systematic dehumanization and reveals how easily prejudice can be manipulated into

oppression. As the Nazis slowly closed in on their prey, friends and families had to make
impossible decisions. Maus, shows the struggle and survival of one man, but shows the
suffering experienced by millions. Hitlers final solution shows how something
tremendously evil can be born from small prejudices. While millions of people died, their
stories survived as a warning to all humanity to look past stereotypes and question
authority. Anne Frank beautifully summarized this sentiment, If we bear all this
suffering and if there are still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being
doomed, will be held up as an example.

Works Cited:
Spiegelman, Art. MAUS: A Survivor's Tale, II: And Here My Troubles Began. New York:

Pantheon, 1991. Print.