A Deeper Meaning to Hardships

For the longest time, I believed that my life was very difficult. I had to complete vast amounts of homework. I had to study for numerous tests and quizzes. I had to prepare for the SAT and ACT. I had to work for many hours a week. I had to volunteer for 4 hours a week. And it all seemed never-ending. But, I’ve realized that there are many others with far more challenging lives. What changed my perspective? Maus. I’ve learned a lot about the Holocaust over many years; however, I was only taught the logistics. I never fully understood how it impacted individual’s families after war and how deadly war times were. After reading Maus, all this became very clear to me. Spiegelman was able to depict the impacts of war by presenting motifs throughout the comic. One significant motif was guilt. The effects of war were not only presented upon Vladek; they were also placed upon Art. Vladek carried survival guilt. He felt a great amount of guilt for surviving the war. But, Art carried a more severe form of guilt. Art was guilty that he was not a part of the war. This is clearly shown when all the reporters are chirping at him with questions. Art doesn’t know how to answer the questions, since he didn’t witness the war firsthand. He feels regretful that he doesn’t know enough about it. For me, I don’t personally know anyone who has lived through war, so I don’t hold much pressure in understanding the deeper details of war. On the other hand, Art is placed in a situation where people expect him to fully explain the war. He will always feel guilty that he isn’t able to tell his father’s story to the fullest extent. Life for individuals will be very difficult if they hold a cloud of guilt over them.