How The Past Affects The Present

Think of the last time you told someone a story. Did you tell it exactly as it happened, in the exact order that it happened? Did you leave out details by mistake, or add details in to add emphasis, emotion, or excitement? Even as we tell of small, almost insignificant events, we as humans cannot portray to another person exactly what we have experienced.

In Maus, Art asks Vladek to tell him about his experience of the years during the war, as well as his personal life. Vladek carries the emotional burden of the death of his wife, Anja, who he misses very much. Even as Art uses words and pictures to tell the story of his father, the reader still will never come close to feeling anything remotely similar to what Vladek felt as he experienced these terrible things first hand. We can sit here and say how terrible it all was, or feel sympathy and sadness towards the horrific events that went on during this time, but no one will truly be able to understand what Vladek went through and how that affects his life after the war. This is demonstrated throughout Maus, as Art has trouble relating to his father in certain aspects of his life. Art lacks a sense of empathy towards his father, instead he becomes easily aggravated towards his father's quirks, which are most likely a result of the war. Mala also lacks this sense of empathy, which is ultimately what leads to their break up. Mala believes that since she also experienced the war and concentration camps, the two of them should not have as big of differences. What both Art and Mala fail to understand is that people have different experiences that affect them in very different ways, and it is impossible for anyone to truly understand how another individual thinks or feels unless they were faced with the same exact experiences. For example, Art does not understand his father's need to save money or his desire to keep everything neat and organized.

Here are a few passages that illustrate the differences between Vladek and Art and Mala and their lack of understanding towards him.