Resentment in Maus Essay

Criticism Perpetrates Resentment

Hanging onto resentment is letting someone you despise live rent-free in your head Ann Landers

Blood is thicker than water, or is it? Blood-ties to parents should be sacred, eternal and the foundation for the rest of our lives to rest upon. In Art Spiegelmans Maus I and Maus II a major theme is one of resentment, based on Arts feelings of resentment of his father for not having experienced the Holocaust, for living while his older brother is dead, and for not being the best son to his father. These situations have built upon one another, and have created an unending cycle of resentment and criticism between father and son and husband and wife. A parents first responsibility is to build a foundation for their children. In doing so, there must be kindness, support, encouragement, respect and above all love. Spiegelmans relationship with his father is precariously perched upon guilt, dissatisfaction and criticism, and these feelings have created a cycle in which has left Artie with less than love and respect for Vladek, who in turn treats Artie with more disdain, frustration and condemnation. A spouses first duty is to unconditionally love and respect their significant other. Vladek shows his love for Anja by providing, protecting and preserving everything to help her survive the Holocaust. Whereas, constant frugality leads Mala to believe Vladek cannot love at all. This continuous cycle eventually leads Mala to abandon Vladek for a time, causing him to have more resentment for his wife. Although Vladek is a successful, frugal businessman, and loving husband to Anja, Vladek is less than loving, more often, degrading and demeaning to his second son Artie and second wife Mala, causing a malicious series of events founded on resentment and criticism between father/son and husband/wife.

First, in Maus, Spiegelman tells of his fathers good fortune in finding and marrying Anja. Anja is a pretty lady whose father is wealthy; she is a great housekeeper, and a wonderful hostess (p 19). These are values that Vladek seeks in a partner, insofar as they will make life comfortable for him. Vladek makes his textile factory successful through frugal, honest and hardworking business practices. This enables them to live in luxury. After their first child is born, Anja sufferers a nervous breakdown, and Vladek takes her away for three months to recover. Throughout this time Vladek entertains her with jokes, dining, dancing and loving concern. He was always there to calm her down and to help her recover (p 31-33). As Vladek is drafted and Anja is packing to move with her father, Vladek insists she pack some valuables to enjoy looking at, knowing that she could sell them if there came a time of need (p 38). During their time in Auschwitz, Vladek gives up many hard to come by items for Anjas comfort and safety. In response to being treated as a valued and beloved wife, Anja spends the majority of her married life taking care of Vladeks needs.

Secondly, Vladek is always critical of Artie, as shown when Vladek rudely reprimands Artie for dropping cigarette ashes on his floor instead of asking kindly for Artie to clean up after himself (p 52)! Vladek criticizes Artie for buying a new tape recorder and paying $75.00, instead of buying it for $35.00 at his preferred store (p 73). Although Vladek knows Artie sleeps late he again disrespects him by calling him up and requests help fixing the drain pipe on the roof at 7:30am (p 96). Artie tells his wife that he would rather feel guilty than go help his father. In these instances Vladek is only thinking of himself and the repercussions Arties actions, or inactions, will cause him. The ashes will ruin the carpet, the tape recorder should have been less expensive, and Artie should get out of bed and come help him fix the drain pipe. With all of these examples, and many more being continually illustrated, Artie has become resentful and distanced from his only living parent. This is apparent when Artie is speaking to his wife, He loved showing how HANDY he wasand proving that anything I did was all wrong. He made me completely neurotic about fixing stuffOne reason I became an artist was that he thought it was impractical-Just a waste of timeit was an area where I wouldnt have to compete with him. (p 97) In Spiegelmans second book, the distance between Artie and Vladek is reiterated when Artie is speaking to his wife about a recurring thought he had as a child. Artie used to think about which of his parents he would save if the Nazis came, he usually thought he would save his mother and allow his father to be taken to the ovens (p 14). According to Artie, Vladek performs the ultimate betrayal when he admits to burning Anjas journals about surviving the Holocaust. Vladek does this knowingly during a fit of depression, even with the knowledge that Anja knew Artie would enjoy them (p 158). Arties disrespectful response is to walk out and call his father a murderer (p 159).

Thirdly, Vladek has remarried a woman named Mala. As shown by Artie, Mala is an old friend of the Spiegelman family from before the war. Mala and Vladek do not get along very well, mostly due to the frustrations of Vladeks inability to spend money on necessary household items. Vladek thinks Mala is only interested in obtaining his money, and therefore treats her with disrespect and distrust. After not having seen his son for two years, Vladek is discourteous to Mala for hanging Arties coat on a wire hanger (p 11). He is repeatedly rude when complaining about how dry the chicken was (p 44), and how she would not clean up the cigarette ashes for a week (p 52). This disrespect and rudeness lends support to Malas eventual abandonment of Vladek in Maus II. Artie is notified by a friend that his father has called and informed them he has had a heart attack (p 12). Upon returning the phone call, Artie learns that Vladek has not suffered a heart attack, but that Mala has left him, taken money out of their bank account and drove off in their car (p 13). Eventually Vladek and Mala get back together because Mala feels sorry for Vladek. Vladek is more demanding due to health issues, and Mala confesses that she feels trapped in the relationship (p 122).

In conclusion, Vladek is capable of being a kind and loving human being before the war, and while he is, his life is taken care of by those he shows this affection, respect and love for. After the war, he becomes an obsessed pack rat, unable to show any caring emotion to those who surround him. During this time, he is always feeling as if his wife and only living son are disinterested in him for anything other than his money. Vladek develops numerous health concerns and has to make up medical issues in order to get any attention from his family. These cycles of criticism, disappointment, censure and invalid accusations have created a life of negativity, disrespect and loneliness for a man who once had it all.

Works Cited

Spiegelman, Art. Maus I My Father Bleeds History. New York: Panthoen Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 1973.

. Maus II And Here My Troubles Began. New York: Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, Inc., 1986.