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Zoomorphism:
USA - DOGS
NAZIS - CATS
POLISH - PIGS - Disloyal and filthy
JEWISH - MICE

MAJOR CHARACTERS
1. art spiegelman:
Protagonist - Narrator - Survivor
Survivor’s guilt: Depression due to the guilt experienced by survivors of an
accident/tragedy which took lives of their kin.
He wrote novel as a redemption to overcome his guilt for a abandoning his depressed
father. Tries to end estrangement.
Writing the book led to realisation that his father’s stingy, stubborn behaviour was due to
war suffering.
2. vladek spiegelman
Central character: Resilience - He survived the Prisoner of war camp and Auschwitz
concentration camp and the camp of Birkenau. He had a traumatic behaviour.

3. Wives : Anja - Suicide : Mala - Bickering

4. anja spiegelman

First wife of Vladek

Mother of Art and Richieu
Rich man’s daughter
Loved Vladek dearly and was his beloved throughout. Suffered from mental illness.
Committed Suicide:

4. richieu spiegelman

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 First born of Anja and Vladek. Dies as a child during World War ll. Art considers his
“ghost brother”.

5. mala spiegelman

Vladek’s second wife after he lives in USA. She’s a survivor herself. Vladek and Mala
are incompatible.

6. Zyberlberg : Anjas rich father Supports the young couple anja and vladek. Along
with his wife, he died at Zylberberg.

Analysis of the literary devices:

Writing Style - Graphic Novel - Simple Sentences - Irony and Sarcasm are employed
Raw Language - Describing sad, painful, cruel or tragic events with brutal honesty
without an attempt to mask it.
Genre - Holocaust Literature
Action - Layers of action, prominent rising action, climax and falling action.
Resolution - Tragic End
Allusion - “The Great American Dream” - A concept in the minds of youth of third would
countries that life in USA is a “golden life”.
Sheik - Rich Arab oil merchant with a taste of luxury
Walt Disney - Ultimate entertainer
Vodka - Auschwitz - Hungary - Hitler
Repeated references to Jews, Polish, Russians, Nazis and Americans.

Conflict -
Estranged father relationship : Art & Vladek
External Conflict -
Man vs Man : Concentration Maps - War - Holocaust
Man vs Situation - Situation of being a Jew in Poland at the time of the Holocaust
Internal Conflict -
Anja and Vladek experiences PTSD.

Characters :

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 Dynamic - Vladek, Art
Static - Anja, Mala, All relatives

Comic: Dialogue Bubble, Thought Bubble.

Comical fonts are used despite of the tragical events in the story.

Climax - Miracle that Anja is found alive in Auschwitz

Foreshadowing - Richieu sent away. Artie going to meet his father. Hiding of
grandparents
Imagery - War. Cold. Hunger. Feelings and Numbness.

Metaphor - Heil Hitler

External Metaphor - Zoomorphism:
USA - DOGS
NAZIS - CATS
POLISH - PIGS - Disloyal and filthy
JEWISH - MICE

Simile - “Like” “as”

- You want it to be like a stable.
- You are a pole like a man.

Page Wise Analysis

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