Next steps for the feature article task

Once you have chosen your poem/song and you have completed the proposal questions, you should work through a SPECS and SLIMS analysis on your poem/song. This analysis will become quite useful when you begin writing your feature article. It will also need to be submitted with the final copy of your assignment to demonstrate your planning.

Remember, SPECS and SLIMS requires you to do the following things:

Subject Matter - You are giving a basic overview of what the poem/song is focusing on

Purpose - Based on what you read in the poem/song, why do you think the poet/songwriter wrote this piece? What were they trying to achieve? Where they maybe trying to tell a story (either their personal story or someone else's), educate people, change their perspective on war/conflict, share their opinion on war/conflict, etc.)?

Emotion - As you read the piece, are their certain emotions present within the words? Do you get a sense of how the writer may have felt? Do you think the audience is being positioned to feel a certain way when the read/hear this piece?

Craftsmanship - Remember this part focuses on how the poet/songwriter has constructed the piece. You use SLIMS to do this bit.

Structure - This section allows you to think about whether the poem has been written in a certain style, e.g. Ode or Ballad, etc. Is the poem separated into stanzas for a clear reason? You can also consider whether there are verses or choruses repeated for certain effect if it is a song. This section is only important if you think the writer has made structural choices for a really specific effect.

Language - What kind of language choices has the writer used for certain effects? Have their used first or second person for a reason? Have they used words that have strong emotional links for the audience? Have they chosen words that help the reader to understand the situation by appealing to their five senses? Is it written in a formal or casual style for a particular reason?

Imagery - Are there examples of metaphors, similes, personification, symbolism, etc? Has the writer created really vivid images in what they say to help you picture what they are describing?

Movement - Is there a rhyming pattern or a sense of rhythm in the poem or song that helps to reinforce the message or make it easy to remember, etc? Like structure, this is only important if you think the writer has made a choice for a very deliberate reason.

Sound - Are there examples of alliteration, assonance or onomatopoeia? Again, only important if they have been used for a really strong reason - e.g. Mimicking the sound of gunfire, etc.

Summary - Once you have finished your notes, this is your chance to link it back to what the task is asking. The summary allows you to make some specific notes that can compare your chosen poem/song to the themes, etc. that you saw in 'Maus'.

Preparing for your feature article

When choosing your poem/song you should consider the following things:

Do some background research on...
* The poet (you should be able to do this straight from Blackboard for most of the poets/song writers
* When the poem was written
* Which war it is about

Consider...
* Which poem interests you the most
* How will you compare or contrast it to 'Maus'
* Can you address the task statement?

Once you have chose your poem/song, complete the following proposal questions to help guide your initial thoughts on the text.

Proposal.

Why have you chosen to write a feature article about this poem?

Answer each question and make sure to explain your answers in full sentences.

1.

Is it from an intriguing time in history?

2.

Does it give a realistic/ powerful depiction of war?

3.

Is the subject matter deeply moving?

4.

What is the poet’s purpose in writing this poem?

5.

Does it help us to empathise with the experiences of the soldier and make their experiences feel real?

6.

Does the poem ask us to remember the soldiers and to promote peace so that the war never happens again?

7.

How does this poem make you feel? Does it make you think about pain or death? Does it make you angry/sad?

Contemporary responses to war

The Dixie Chicks are a band who have made headlines in the recent past for their public responses to war, through both the things they have said in public and the music that they have recorded. During today's lesson, we will be reading an article from Blackboard that explores the public response that the band has had to endure as a result of their thoughts and we will also explore one of their songs.

As we read the article, you need to answer the following questions:

1. How effective is the headline?
2. The journalist has chosen not to include an extensive byline. Do you think this is a good decision? Explain your answer.
3. How does the introductory paragraph help your understanding of what the article will be about?
4. What kind of tone do you think the journalist is trying to achieve? Provide examples to explain your answer.
5. What do you think the journalist's purpose was in writing this article? Provide examples to help prove your answer.
6. The journalist makes considerable use of direct quotations throughout the article. How does this affect your understanding of the article and influence your opinion of the band members? Use evidence to support your claims.
7. How effective do you think this article is in achieving the journalist's purpose? Explain your answer in full please.

Once we have looked at the article we are going to look at the song, "Not ready to make nice" which was written in response to the backlash that the band faced after Natalie's comments. After annotating it together, we will complete a SPECS and SLIMS analysis of the song, to be completed on your blogs.

Remember SPECS and SLIMS concentrates on the following:

Subject Matter
Purpose
Emotion
Craftsmanship (see SLIMS)
Summary

Structure
Language
Imagery
Movement
Sound

Your SPECS and SLIMS notes need to be posted to your blogs by no later than Tuesday morning.

"An Irish Airman Foresees His Death" SPECS and SLIMS analysis

Image taken from Google images on 13/08/12

To keep your mind on the poetry element of our unit, you will be required to complete some homework this week while we are working our way through the speeches.

Last Friday you looked at Yeats' poem, 'An Irish Airman Foresees His Death' (poem is included for you below):

An Irish Airman Foresees His Death

I KNOW that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My county is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

William Butler Yeats

By Friday morning, you need to have completed a SPECS and SLIMS analysis of this poem (it may be done using dot points) and posted your notes on your blog. Please organise this early so that I do not have to listen to excuses about your blog not working.

I will also post a reminder of the SPECS and SLIMS structure for you to use as a guide :)

Finalising your drafts

Here is an overview of the feedback that I have been providing to everyone during the verbal conferencing sessions:

* PROOF-READ! Please read over your work very carefully to ensure that you have a speech that is clearly articulated. Be very aware of your expression, sentence construction, word choice, etc. It is incredibly useful to have someone read your speech aloud to you - this way you can hear the mistakes that you may have made.

* Time your speech. If you have time available, think about where you can enhance your main points. You need to work on developing depth in your discussion. This may mean that you need to trim certain elements of your speech to ensure that you can provide greater detail and depth in other areas.

* Look back to the task sheet. Consider the questions that you have selected to answer; have you answered them the best you possibly can? If not, consider what you might change or add.

* Still looking at the task sheet. Look carefully at the criteria sheet now that you have written your speech. Does your speech meet the criteria directly?

* Have you addressed the themes/messages element of the task. Your whole speech should be focusing on how you have take the most important (to you) themes or messages from the book and developed them into a film. How have you done this and what reaction were you hoping to get from audiences - how do you want them to feel?

* Once you have refined your speech, take the time to practise it. Practise in front of an audience if possible and have them give you feedback on both your content and the way you are delivering your presentation.

Good luck and I look forward to hearing your speeches next week!

Draft conferencing

 

Image taken from Google on 07/08/12

As of tomorrow's lesson, I will be starting verbal conferencing with each of you regarding your speech drafts.

There will be four sessions available to you to receive verbal feedback about your speech:

1. Wednesday's lesson

2. Wednesday lunch

3. Thursday's lesson

4. Thursday's lunch (you will share this timeslot with my Year 11 class)

The verbal conferencing will work as follows:

1. If you want to see me during one of tomorrow's sessions, they will be first in best dressed sessions. This is because the draft is not technically due until Wednesday afternoon.

2. If you opt for the Thursday sessions, I will work through those based on the order they are submitted via e-mail -every student regardless of when they conference with me must e-mail their draft by the Wednesday deadline as per the task sheet.

3. When you come to your verbal conferencing session, please bring your draft (electronic or paper) and something to take notes with. I will read it and talk to you about what you need to work on.

4. Please ask questions as we work through the draft so that I can clarify any issues raised.

5. As you conference with me, I will also provide you with the results of your previous task.

6. While the conferencing is occurring, Miss Moitzi will be running activities related to the next stage of our unit, the War Poetry section. 

Please note, you will still be using Maus for your second assessment piece so please keep it with you when you come to English.

Term 3 Speech - Peer Marking Checklist

Image taken from Google images on 06/08/12

As you progress through your partner’s speech, check the following elements:

 Introduction:

1. Is there an identifiable introduction?

2. Does this introduction set up the context of the speech (nomination for ‘Best Picture’ at the Academy Awards)?

3. Does the introduction mention Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus?

4. Is the introduction written using reflective language?

Repeat the following questions for each paragraph responding to one of the task questions:

5. Does the main body paragraph have a clear, concise topic sentence that identifies which question will be addressed?

6. Is there a clear discussion of identified main themes?

7. Are reflections being made as to why certain decisions were made to create meaning?

8. Does the paragraph use reflective language?

9. Does the paragraph only deal with one key concept?

10. Is there a closing statement that wraps up the paragraph?

Conclusion:

 11. Does the conclusion draw on the ideas that have been discussed to make a closing statement?

12. Does it draw the listener’s attention back to the initial question (what meaning was meant to be created)?

13. Does it make direct reference to the graphic novel and author by name?

14. Does it avoid bringing in any new information?

15. Does it close by leaving the listener with a strong idea to consider?

General Proof-Reading:

 16. Are there instances where punctuation needs to be addressed?

17. Are there instances where spelling needs to be addressed?

18. Are there instances where the information is hard to follow because of poor sentence construction?

19. Are there instances where the information is hard to follow because of poor expression?

20. Are there instances where the writer has made poor word choices?

21. Are there instances where the writer has made grammar mistakes?

22. Does the writer use reflective language?

23. Is the speech written using oral language (can it be read aloud)?

24. Does the speech address at least two to three questions from the task sheet?

25. Does the speech address all elements of the criteria sheet?

Summaries for 'Maus'

Here is the compilation of summaries that you all put together :)

Book 1 - Chapter 1

Give a general overview of what happens in this chapter

In this chapter Vladek tells Artie about how he met Artie's mother, Anja. He starts off by talking about Lucia, his first serious girlfriend. Then he goes on about meeting Anja via a cousin in Sosnowiec who went to school with her. They talked every night on the phone after Vladek left and one night Lucia came over. She was very upset about Vladek breaking up with her and begged him to stay with her. Vladek had to get the help of the friend who introduced him to Lucia. Then Anja stopped calling Vladek and when he calls Anja won't speak to him she had gotten a letter from someone in Czestochowa. The letter was sent by Lucia to her saying Vladek had a very bad reputation in Czestochowa and that he had many girlfriends. After lots of talking Vladek convinced Anja that the letter was wrong and he move to Sosnowiec and married Anja. It goes back to the present and Vladek tells Artie that he didn't want this written in the book because it's now about the holocaust.

Identify the main themes that are seen in this chapter

The main themes in this chapter are relationships, between Artie and Vladek, between Vladek and Lucia and between Vladek and Anja. There is also the theme of money and social status with Lucia's family being poor and Anja's family being rich.

Tell us what we learn about the main characters in this chapter

In this chapter we learn that Artie and Vladek are not very close and haven't seen each other in a long time. We learn that Anja wasn't Vladek's first serious girlfriend, Lucia was and that Lucia is very possessive. We also learn that Anja wasn't as attractive as attractive as Lucia but she was much nicer.

Explain what Art Speigelman trying to tell us about the main themes in this chapter (what is the message?)

In this chapter Art Spiegelman tells us that in this time period money was very important, also as important as love. Money is the reason he didn't want to marry Lucia and part of the reason he married Anja. He did love her but if she didn't have any money he probably wouldn't have married her either. He tries to tell us that relationships are important but you don't want to go too far with someone you have no intention on marrying. He also tells us that relationships make everything seem more real and that's why he included this part in the book.

Identify the various techniques that Art Speigelman uses in this chapter to help us understand the themes and the characters

In this chapter Art Speigelman uses the techniques of relationships and perspective to help us understand that themes and characters. The way he has used relationships and how the characters interact with each other helps us understand the character better and the theme of relationships. He has used perspective to help the reader understand the characters of Vladek and Artie because when it is in Artie's perspective you learn more about him and his father and how they act now but when it is in Vladek's perspective you learn about what he was like and you learn more about the other characters.

Explain why/how these techniques are effective

These techniques are effective because you can understand a lot about the different characters just by the dialog and how Vladek or Artie explains them. You also learn shout them by the why they are portrayed in the pictures.

Book 1 - Chapter 2

Summary  

In this chapter Vladek talked of the time just before the war and of when war just broke out. Before war, they found out that Anja was helping the communists translate documents and was arrested. Before they arrested her she gave the documents to a neighbor who she was a good customer of. The police couldn't find anything at home so they also searched the neighbors and so Miss Stefanska was also arrested. She claimed that a customer just left it, therefore due to lack of any further evidence she was not kept in jail for long. Anja's parents paid Miss Stefanska a large amount of money for the trouble caused. Not only that, Anja's father gave Vladek & Anja plenty of money in which they were able to build a textile factory. Later, came the birth of their first son Richieu, October 1937(Artie's elder brother).

While Vladek was away for the factory business, news of Anja being sick came through from a call. Anja was depressed, hysterical; having a breakdown, giving birth to a child was too much of a strain to her. Vladek went home and accompanied Anja to a sanitarium. They left the child with the governess and the factory business to Anja's father.

On their way they saw many flags of the Swastika and heard many stories of the discrimination and boycotting of Jewish businesses. Vladek and Anja were away for three months and when they returned, Anja was like a totally different person from when she left.     Unfortunately, there was bad news upon their return, the factory was robbed and they took everything and Vladek hadn't been able to insure anything before they left three months ago.

For over year they were pretty well off despite the Nazi’s riling things up and chasing Jews out but then a draft notice from the government was received in 1939, August. With this, Vladek and Anja parted and went in different directions. Anja, Richieu and the governess left for home in Sosnowiec and Vladek left for the frontier of war against Germany. 1939, September 1st war came and Vladek stood in the front lines.

War and the treatment of Jews were the main themes of this chapter.

From this chapter we can see that Vladek is a person who cares a lot about work and earning money. He seems to be a pretty stiff and stubborn man. Anja on the other hand seems to be oblivious and weak minded.

Explain what Art Spiegelman is trying to tell us about the main themes in this chapter (what is the message?)

I believe in showing us a story of how Jews were treated, we would be able to understand the confusion before war...

- Discrimination

- Nazi power

- Before war

- When war began.

Identify the various techniques that Art Spiegelman uses in this chapter to help us understand the themes and the characters

- Black and white images

- Mouse & cat & pig

- Words

- Non linear

Explain why/how these techniques are effective.

 - More serious

- Closer to reality

- Not just filled with facts for it to relate to human life

- More emphasis on words so that we read and not just look at pictures

- Representation of the Jews, German, and poles

Art Spiegelman went back to visit his father regularly to hear his story. His father, Valdes talked about his family in this chapter.  Valdek's father-in-law helped Valdek to start a factory in Bielsko. While the factory was going, Valdek and his wife, Anja's first son, Richieu was born. However, Anja was always depressed after giving birth. Anja's father promised to watch the factory for them and they moved to a sanitarium inside Czechoslovakia. They saw the Nazis occupying a town on the way. When they came back after three months, Valdek was told that his factory was robbed. But, their mood was recovered quickly. In 1939, they were frightened of a letter from the government. The letter told them there would be a war soon. Anja and Richieu moved to Sosnowiec and Valdek went to the frontier against Germany. He lost an eye in the war.


War, family, love and loss


Valdek was a brave man. When his factory was robbed, he recovered quickly. Also, he went to the frontier against Germany and lost an eye. He was family-oriented and responsible. He could give up his factory and went to sanitarium. To keep his family safe, he sent his wife and son to Sosnowiec and stayed alone.
Anja was quite unlucky. She was depressed after giving birth and she had to leave her husband at the war. Her father loved Anja so much. He could help Valdek to start a factory and promised to look after his factory when they went to sanitarium.

He is trying to tell us that Valdek is a responsible man and he did so many things to his family. Also, he wants to tell us a more important message of the war. Valdek's factory was robbed which can be told that the public security was bad during the war. And Valdek had to leave his family when the war started. So, Art Speigelman is trying to tell us how the people suffered during the war.

When the train was passing through the town occupied by Nazis, Art Spiegelman uses some shocking words, such as OI and LOOK!, for the language of the people on the train. Also, the background of the town is mainly black and there is a Nazi logo on it. When he is telling Valdek and Anja's life at the sanitarium, they had a romantic dancing and Anja said I loved you to Valdek.

The language that Art Spiegelman chose for the train passengers can tell the readers their nervousness and frightens of the Nazis. And the background of the Nazi-occupied town could also appear an uneasy feeling. However, the dancing of Valdek and Anja could show the love between them. When Valdek was trying to tell some jokes to cheer Anja, it can be seen that Valdek cared her so much.

Book 1 – Chapter 3:

General overview

In this chapter, Vladek is recalling to Artie what is was like to be a Jewish Prisoner of War and the events that he went through that helped him survive. He talked about the hard ache that all the Jews had to go through, and the punishment they received just because they were not German. It tells us how much torture the Jews encountered, and how much unfairness and pain the Germans gave to the prisoners. We learn about how Vladek's father tried to do anything for his children to stay out of the war, as he had experienced it firsthand. Vladek's father would use some techniques such as pull out some of their teeth, and to make them look as sick as a dog by just giving them coffee and let them have virtually no sleep. We also see how something as small as chocolate was worth a lot in those camps. Main themes the main themes in this chapter are survival, war, journey, and the P.O.W camps. The very first theme we are confronted with is his father insisting that he eat all his food. Showing how his past experiences, such as eating whatever you are given to survive, have affected his current views. This gives an introductory insight to Vladek’s personal journey and survival during the war and in the P.O.W camps. What we learn about the main characters in this chapter: We learn that Vladek had a tough time trying to survive, and that although he went through all that pain, he was one of the lucky ones to have been able to survive and see his family in the end. You also learn how the war has shaped Vladek into being a person that is always clean and doesn't like anyone to be wasteful. We learn that although Vladek had to live in tough conditions, he tried to save and use his resources carefully so he could live another day, such as bathing in the river to stay clean and to save the food and cigarettes he relieved from his family and the food the Red Cross gave to him on the train. We also see that Vladek doesn't have the best relationship with Artie. One example that shows this is when Artie looks for his cost, and he realizes Vladek had thrown it out because he was ashamed of it. Art Spiegelman's message/what he is telling us about the main themes: Art Spiegelman is telling us that it was very hard to survive in the camps, and that although a lot of people tried to do anything to survive, the majority of them were killed. This gives the impression that luck was needed to survive as the strong and brave also died. He showed how being a Jew had a massive impact in how they were treated. For example, "The Polish prisoners get heated cabins… Yes, and we're just left to freeze in these tents" (p.55). Techniques used: Art Spiegelman uses techniques such as language choices, the way people are portrayed as animals, the lack of colour, flashbacks, perspective and sequencing of events. The author uses character impressions of other characters to give a broader understanding of the other characters such as mentioning the way his mother used to feed him. . How the techniques are affective: The techniques are affective because of the ways that they portray the message a lot clearer. It also makes the comic less graphic with the use of animals and use only black and white colours. It gives the reader a vivid picture of his experiences which brings the reader closer to the characters. Art Spiegelman’s carefully chosen words gives the reader insight into character features.

Art returns again to Rego Park to visit his father. Vladek begins to tell Art about how he joined the army at 21, in 1939, and Vladek was sent to the German front. Vladek is captured by the Nazi Army and made POW's. The Jewish prisoners are forced to live outside in tents in the bitter autumn cold and are fed only crusts of bread, while the Polish prisoners stay inside in heated cabins and receive two meals a day.  He volunteers, and when he arrives at the camp, he is given his own bed and a full day to rest. The labor is hard work, literally moving mountains to flatten the terrain, and some men are too weak or old to do it. Vladek dreams of his grandfather, who tells him that he will be released from the camp on the day of Parshas Truma, a special event in the Jewish calendar. Three months later it is Parshas Truma, and the prisoners are released. He boards a train, which takes him through occupied Poland towards Sosnowiec, but the train travels past Sosnowiec. He is finally let off in Lublin, in the heart of the Reich Protectorate, where Vladek finds that the Jewish POW's where only released so that they weren't protected by the Polish Laws that protect prisoners so now the Jewish prisoners could be shot on site. In Lublin, Vladek is led to a camp of large tents and hears stories about the last train of prisoners that arrived at the camp, from which six hundred Jews were marched into the forest and killed. Jewish authorities in the camp have bribed the guards to release prisoners into the homes of nearby Jews, and Vladek tells them that he has a cousin in Lublin. Vladek runs immediately back into his tent. The next morning the cousin arrives, and Vladek is set free. A few days later, he boards a train for Sosnowiec. He does not have the proper traveling papers, but by pretending to be Polish, he enlists the help of a Polish train conductor, who hides him from the German soldiers. He arrives first at his parents' house. His father, a very religious man, has been forced by the Nazis to shave off his beard. Vladek then is reunited with Anja and his son, Richieu. In this chapter you also see the controlling nature of Vladek and the tension between father and son when Vladek throws out Art's coat. 

There are four main themes in chapter three of Maus. They are family, love, survival and war. 

In this chapter it shown the beginning of Vladek's hardships and the start of his involvement in the holocaust and WW2 it also shows the alterations to his personality as of his experiences in the war, such as his slight OCD and his interference with Art's life. The reader learns about how Art acts towards his father in this chapter is shows his frustration with his father’s compulsive tendencies and how he tends to get side tract. But it also showed Art being very dismissive of his father worries about Mala which leaves the reader questioning whether he cares a lot about his father. Mala is shown to the reader to be a bit sadistic because of the way Vladek talks to Art about her trying to steal his money. 

Vladek throws away his son's coat at the end of the chapter, behavior that stands in sharp contrast to his overwhelming compulsion to save. The best explanation for this seemingly uncharacteristic behaviour lies in Vladek's reasons for saving. It becomes clear that Vladek wishes all of his money to be left to his son. His compulsive saving, then, reflects his desire for his son to live a good and prosperous life. Vladek is therefore offended by the sight of his son wearing an old and shabby coat, and he conspires to replace it with one that he thinks is better. Chapter 3 also elaborates on the book's discussions of race and class. When Vladek boards a train from Lublin back to Sosnowiec, he is drawn wearing the mask of a pig, signifying that he is hiding his Jewish identity by pretending to be Polish. So the author is suggesting that race and nationality are only man-made classifications and that underneath these masks, we are all more alike than we are different.

Spiegelman uses flashbacks and the animal categories he puts different religions and nationalities into. This flashback helps the reader to understand the themes more by letting the reader see Vladek in the war and after the war so that the reader is able to see the change in his personality. The flashbacks also help with showing the perspectives of Art and Mala. The masks that categorise the characters in Maus are helpful for the reader as they show the discrimination of the people during the war and also to make it clear to the reader who is who. 

Book 1 – Chapter 4:

In this chapter Vladek explains to Artie what life was like after the POW camp. He talks about how the family wanted to live like they did before the war, which wasn't possible because of the Germans. He also speaks about life in an early Ghetto. The main themes in this chapter are War, Family, Survival, Loss and Love. We learn a lot about what Vladek would do to save his family in this chapter. He risked being caught by the Germans doing illegal business so that his family could live reasonably comfortably. Spiegelman uses Language choices and relationships/interactions between characters to tell us the main themes in this chapter. These themes are effective because of the things that happen in the chapter.

Book 1 – Chapter 5:

Give a general overview (description) of what happens in this chapter.

In the beginning of this chapter Mala wakes up Francoise and Artie with a phone call at 7.30 in the morning after Vladek climbed up onto the roof and insisted on climbing back up to fix the broken drainpipe. After a week passed Artie goes to his father’s house only to find out that his father, Vladek had seen the horrifying comic book called 'Prisoner on the Hell Planet' Artie had created after his mother killed herself. This book described how Artie felt during this time and how it took its toll on him. Everybody that featured in this comic was drawn as humans although they might have not looked like it. Vladek forgave Artie as he understood the pain that he was going through after the loss of his mother. They went for a walk to the bank and Vladek starting talk about his time back to when they were putting everybody in the trucks and taking them to Auschwitz to the gas chambers. They had all heard horrible stories about Auschwitz and couldn't possibly go there so instead Vladek and his family hid in a cellar which protected them from the Police. It wasn't long before the Gestapo came and found them hiding in the cellar. They were put into a Ghetto which was inside another ghetto and they were told to wait. Anja soon becomes very depressed after she finds out her whole family is gone, her grandma and grandpa, her mother and father, Tosha, Bibi and her son Richieu. She says "Oh god, let me die too" (Pg. 124). Vladek and Anja were transferred from the Ghetto to a bunker; they were left famished and parched. The next day Vladek and Anja left the bunker and made their way to Sosnowiec.

Identify which main themes are seen in this chapter.

- Desperation
- Family
- Survival
- Betrayal

Tell us what we learn about the main characters in this chapter.

Vladek: We learn about how Vladek felt after the death of Anja and what extents he went to just to protect his family.
Artie: We learn about how curious he is about finding information out from the Holocaust and how much he cares about his father’s past and feels for him.
Anja: We learn about how it was such a struggle for Anja as she lost nearly all of her family and she found it very hard to cope in the appalling conditions in which they lived in.

Book 1 - Chapter 6

General Overview of what happens in the chapter...

- Mala is upset at how Vladek treats her. She says the camps are no excuse "All our friends went through the camps and nobody acts like him" (p.133)

- They start discussing what happened after Vladek left Srodula in 1944

- Vladek and Anja went back to Sosnowiec to find a place to stay

- An old janitor let them hide in a barn

- They found a better place outside of town.

- They met with people smugglers.

- The men (including Vladek) went with the people smugglers but got caught by the Gestapo. YOU COULD TRUST NOBODY

- THEY GOT SENT TO AUSCHWITZ!!!!

- At the end (back in present time) Artie calls Vladek a 'murderer' after learning that his dad destroyed his mother’s diaries. 

The main themes in the chapter...

- Betrayal

- Desperation

- Survival 

- Family 

What did we learn about the main characters?...

Vladek - We learnt more about his struggle to survive with Anja

             - How his insecurities from the past affect his family (Mala and Artie)

Mala - How she feels Vladek is mistreating her and how it is drastically affecting her.

Artie - He feels extremely upset by the way Vladek disposed his mother’s diaries and how, because he was a camp survivor, he has the right to destroy or hurt anything that he can’t be bothered dealing with.

          - He realises what a 'day to day' struggle it must have been for his parents.

What is Art Spiegelman trying to tell us about the main themes in this chapter (what is his message)?...

Betrayal - I think art is trying to show us that from being so desperate you can get yourself into huge trouble from people betraying you, such as the people smugglers.

Desperation - Everyone was desperate in War times, especially the Jews. The Jews risked everything at the chance of escaping. People even risked getting seen and loosing precious items to buy food.

Survival - Art realised that the Jews fought for survival every day. They could never know when someone may betray them. Art wants us to see the struggle his father went through.

Even though Artie's father survived the camps, he didn't survive in some ways. He felt guilty that he lived and so many others didn't and he feels scarred at the genocide that he witnessed.

Family - Although family meant a lot, family also hurt. The hurt of losing family (Vladek's point of view) and the hurt that family can cause (like how Artie felt his dad betrayed him pg.161). Artie shows that family can hurt in his writing and in the pictures throughout the book. He also shows that family is also important in survival (between Vladek and Anja). 

Various techniques that Art Spiegelman uses in his chapters to help us understand the themes and characters...

Language Choices - Art Spiegelman calls his dad a murderer which doesn’t literally mean he murdered someone but represents someone nasty. Art called Vladek this as he burned Anja's diaries, so this represents 'murdering' Anja's memories. 

Colour - In the intense parts of the chapter (such as when Vladek and Anja are hiding) the shading is more blocked so it looks darker. Not only does this represent the time of day or the lighting of the place, but it also represents how hard it was, and a fight to stay alive. 

Sequencing of events - I think that when Art Spiegelman was writing the comic, he put Vladek and Anja hiding with the bit about his dad burning the diaries, in the same chapter for a reason. Artie saw how much his dad had cared for Anja, trying his hardest to keep her safe and hidden. When he found out that his dad had burnt Anja's diaries it is all ironic. How could he care that much about Anja, yet burn one of the only memories of hers? It probably all comes down to Vladek's bad memories of the Holocaust and wanting Anja to be remembered in her happier days. 

HOPE THIS HELPS EVERYONE xx

Book 1 – Chapter 6

Give a general overview (description) of what happens in this chapter.

In this chapter Vladek and Anja travel back to Sosnowiec and sleep a few nights in a barn with an old woman but take off again when somebody offers to share their house in return for money. There they spend a few months but when Vladek is offered to be smuggled into Hungary with two German smugglers, he accepts. In the company of the smugglers he meets a Jewish friend who speaks to him in Yiddish and tells him that he will go first and send a letter back if he got there safely. He gets a return letter which tells him all is well and his friend arrived without trouble in Hungary. Against Anja’s better judgment they meet with the smugglers, pay them their money and get on a train to begin their journey to safety. To their angst the smugglers were crooks and had understood the conversation between Vladek and his friend which had got smuggled earlier, they had forged the letter and forced the friend to sign it. On the very same train the Gestapo caught Vladek and Anja. They were shipped off to Auschwitz. Arty also learnt that his deceased mother’s diary’s which would have helped his book were burned in a fitful rage of his father Vladek.

Identify which main themes are seen in this chapter.

Main themes found in this chapter are:

·         Journey

·         Trust

·         Anger

·         fear

Tell us what we learn about the main characters in this chapter.

·         We learn that Vladek makes snap decisions and trusts too easily. We learn that the villagers of Sosnowiec are there to lend a helping hand to Vladek's family when they return to their home town. We learnt that Anja’s worrying problem is worse than ever.

Explain what Art Speigelman is trying to tell us about the main themes

In this chapter (what is his message?)

·         Journey- Speigelman’s is conveying the fact that the journey in this novel is always flowing and making sharp turns and twists.

·         Trust- Speigelman uses this chapter to tell the audience how quickly trust can turn, and that perhaps it isn’t clever to trust those who don’t have your absolute confidence.

·         Anger/fear- anger & fear are used to convey the feeling throughout this chapter to what is happening to the characters at certain points

Identify the various techniques that Art Speigelman uses in this chapter to help us understand the themes and the characters.

·         Speigelman’s techniques include:

-emotive language

-colloquial language

-body language

-facial expression

Explain why/how these techniques are effective.

·         Emotive language is effective because it gives us an understanding on what the characters are feeling.

·         Colloquial language as a technique gives us a clue on where this story is taking place. E.g. racial grouping, social standard etc..

·         Body language of the characters is a great technique because it helps us get a view on the how the characters stand in the novel. E.g. crouching Jew compared to a Gestapo soldiers stance..

·         Facial expression in this comic book is vital because it allows the reader to see how they take information without the need to put it into words.

Book 2 - Chapter 1

In this chapter of the book Vladek has a fake heart attack and Mala leaves him. He is in a very bad state therefore Artie and his wife stay with him for a short time. In this time Art gathers more information for his story and also works on his relationship with his father in some ways. The information that he gathers for his story involves Vladek’s early stages in Auschwitz and how he gained respect from the guards using his English language skills. Through doing this he also received food and tips of survival.


The themes that are displayed in this chapter include family, love and survival.


In this chapter you learn that Artie and his wife actually do care for Vladek but they have their own lives to tend to. Artie is very confused about his relationship with his father but Vladek seems very set on living and being with his son permanently. We learn that Vladek used his language skills as a smart method of survival during his time in Auschwitz and that he cares for others, not only himself. For example on pge179 Vladek informs Artie about his decision to leave money to his brother and his son. ” One for my brother in Israel, and I one I wanted for you”. In doing this, Vladek is being very kind and showing how he cares for others. Art Spiegelman also develops the readers’ knowledge of Vladek’s hoarding problem.


Family- In this chapter, Art Speigelman is trying to tell us that family is important no matter how difficult of hard a relationship is. Even though Vladek and Art don’t get along very well, Artie still rushes to his father’s aid when he needed it most and this displays the importance of family.

Love-In the beginning of the chapter, there is a scene between Artie and his wife Francoise. Art shows us a panel where Francoise explains how she converted to Judaism. This shows that Francoise was willing the change her religious beliefs in order to sustain her relationship with Artie. Therefore Art Spiegelman message in the chapter is also the importance of love.

 Survival- Art Spiegelman is trying to tell us that fighting for survival is essential in extreme conditions, no matter what the situation is. When Artie shows us the part when Vladek puts his hand up for knowing English, he is telling us that you must use all you can to survive or otherwise you most probably will die.

In the chapter Art Spiegelman uses various techniques to help us understand the themes and characters of the novel. He uses dialogue to help us understand how angry Vladek becomes at times. In some panels of the chapter the readers can see Vladek with his arm round his son. Through this use of strategic Art we are showed the love that Vladek has for his son and this is a perfect example of the theme love in the chapter.

Give a general overview of what happens in the chapter

They are visiting friends in France and then a flashback of young Valdek while he was in Auschwitz. He was given special treatment for being smart and taught a guard English. He worked as a tinsmith, a shoe maker and black work. After he was caught sneaking food to Anja, he was put into black work where he did hard labour.

Identify which are the main themes in the chapter

Travel, intelligence, secrecy, lies

Explain what art Spiegelman is trying to tell us about the main themes in this chapter

How they travelled all over Germany, how Vladek's smartness saved him, the secrecy and lies he told to stay alive.

Tell us what we learn about the main characters in this chapter

Vladek is a very smart guy, Mandelbaum is his friend.

Identify the various techniques that art Spiegelman uses in this chapter to help us understand the themes and the characters

Flashbacks, pigs, mice

Explain why and how these techniques are effective

The flashbacks are very effective at showing what. Vladek used to be like and how he turned out after the war. They help show two perspectives from the same person

Book 2 – Chapter 2:

General overview

Within the start of the first five pages, Art Speigelman shows his life after his father has died and the journey of writing the book, he was expecting a baby soon and was feeling depressed. Speigelman grows smaller and smaller like a child through each frame by the business proposals and so on, to represent his vulnerability. He goes to his shrink and talks about feeling guilty of his father’s survival and his relationship with his father. Speigelman goes home from his shrink and starts to draw the next few pages with his father playing on tape. Flashing back to his father, when Valdek was older, talking to art about his experiences and then goes further into the time when Valdek was in Auschwitz. Valdek talks about his survival by giving the chief of the tin men, Yidl, working in the camp, food in exchange for a guarantee of Vladek working as a tin man. Valdek shares the ways he survived certain outcomes such as hiding normal clothes - he was already too thin and was able to hide the clothes underneath without looking suspicious. He also talks about violence such as for when a man in the same position was claiming that he was German who did not stand up straight enough and so he was beaten and finished. Valdek talks of Anja staying in the camp in Birkenau and his uses of connections to be able to save her from the chimneys. Mancie helped Valdek find out more about Anja and her survival and that was one of the reasons why Valdek and Anja were able to hold on and survive. Mancie was also reason why as since she had some sort of power, she was able to help Anja and Vladek such as providing food and help. "I miss you... Each day I think to run into the electric wires and finish everything. But to know you are alive it gives me still to hope..." (pg. 213) Anja wrote on a letter that Mancie was able to give to Vladek.

Main themes

In chapter two, book two the main themes are:

•   Survival

•   Violence

•   Love

•   Hope

Techniques used

Survival - "Ha! I knew you were an expert tin man, but I never knew you had so many other talents!" page 221, "Of course I fixed very nice the shoes, and the Kapo then was very different with Anja... Very different." page 223, survival in the book is mostly shown by the used of dialogue and also series of events, as Anja and Vladek's survival is what creates the story.

Violence- is shown by the way the images are drawn and the dialogue used such as when Vladek gets beaten up by a Gestapo for flirting or being caught talking to Anja pages 217 "so he beat me, what can I tell you? Only, thank god, Anja didn’t get also such a beating. She wouldn't live."

Love - "Just seeing you again gives me stength." page 216 the love that Vladek and Anja shares with each other adds to the luck of their survival and they were able to keep strong for each other.

Hope - Hope is found in the overall atmosphere and dialogue of the book, as you would think that Valdek is such a lucky person, the good always comes to him so you might not be able to understand what really happened for him to have so much hope. "And the Jews lived always with hope." page 233 they hoped for the Russians to come earlier and to stop their death from coming.

How are those techniques effective?

 The techniques are effective in many ways such as how the novel creates a sense of hope for Vladek’s life within the Holocaust. There was also a sense of luck, love, survival and violence within the book. Although the techniques for violence are not all as successful in the book since it is hard for the readers to understand and picture what it would have been like. Valdek's survival was full of luck giving the readers a sense of hope and readers may expect that if they were in the Holocaust, they all would have survived. But they are wrong. Shown at the start of the chapter, Arts shrink says the death was random. The techniques help create a hook that drags the reader deeper and deeper into

Book 2 – Chapter 3:

General Overview:

In the beginning of this chapter, Artie and his girlfriend Francoise have just moved in with Artie’s father Vladek to accompany him during a hard time. Vladek’s wife, Mala, had just left him. Artie and his father get into a small argument about how long Vladek and Francoise will accompany him for, Vladek wants them to stay for the summer but they only intend to for a couple of days till he gets his feet back on the ground, now that he’s alone. They apologize for the argument and carry on with Vladek’s stories of experience during the holocaust. They sat in the front seats of the car and Vladek told Artie about how the end was very near, only a couple more weeks till it was over in Auschwitz for the Russians we’re soon to be coming. Vladek knew a boy who knew the rumors and they were able to find out that the Germans were planning on taking them back to the camps. Vladek also had a friend in the camp laundry who supplied them with clothes and identity papers he even told them about the attic in which they could hide during evacuation. They hid up there when time came, but a guy ran in and told them that they were planning to set fire and bomb all the blocks, that they must leave.

They left the block but found out that they didn’t get bombed in the end. They were taken out of Auschwitz, where they marched and some got shot. Because he was strong Vladek was able to get food unlike many. People were taken on the train to Dachau. Vladek got a hand infection which he purposely made worse in order to go to the infirmary, which was paradise. Vladek got very sick with typhus and very weak but with help of friends he was able to get outside the gate to be exchanged as war prisoners at the Swiss border. Where they got taken to Switzerland.

Main themes:

Survival, family/ relationships, discrimination

We learn that Vladek was very lucky out of most of the people during the holocaust to be able to make connections with people in order to get food, clothes, ID papers, places to hide and help getting around, where most people would’ve simply died. We also learn that he is quite persistent on wanting Artie and his girlfriend to stay with him for longer.

Art Speigleman is trying to tell us with the theme of survival, what the people had to go through in order to survive, to show us the struggle. With the theme of family he shows us the kind of relationship Vladek had with him. And with discrimination, when Vladek tells his stories the discrimination against him for being a Jew, of being treated differently.

The techniques that Art Speigelman uses in this chapter is flashbacks where they start with Vladek and Art having an argument and then Vladek tells his story then it comes back to the present where they continue to argue about something else. Bold, letters capitals and exclamation marks are used to show expression in their voices. Where it is an upsetting or scary scene dark sketching is used in the pictures to portray this. Another technique used throughout is onomatopoeia such as ‘BANG”, “KPOW” and “Sigh”.

The techniques are effective because they give a more realistic effect to the book. The bold letters for expression and the kind of sketching sets the scene. Onomatopoeia lets us know what sounds are going on around in the chapter.

Book 2 – Chapter 4

Chapter Summary:

In this chapter Vladek talks to his son again about money and asks him again to move in with him, Artie pushes his father again to tell him more about the holocaust and how Anja made it through to the end of the war. He tells him that she was helped to Russia by Mancie and then makes her way back to Sosnowiec. The story goes into more detail about how Vladek also got out and was traded for prisoners of war. The it comes back to present and Vladek shows Artie some photos obtained from Richeau’s Governess and he explains about the people in the photo. Then Vladek gets a pain in his chest and takes a pill and the pain goes away leaving the work him and Artie are doing for another time.

Identify which main themes are seen in this chapter:

Love, Hope, Sadness and Pain.

We learn about Anja, and how she got through Auschwitz, We learn that Vladek is getting frail and his life experiences are finally starting to take its toll on him. We understand that Artie still does not want to move in with Vladek, his father. We also learn more about Vladek’s journey through Auschwitz.

The main themes Art Speigelman is trying to get across to the readers in this chapter are the pain and sadness that Vladek has experienced and how it does take its toll eventually no matter how strong you are.

The techniques that Art Speigelman is using in this chapter are:

·         Relationships

·         Colour

·         Language choice

·         Characterization

·         Sequencing of events

·         Perspective

Relationships are used in this chapter by the relationship between Vladek and Anja and Vladek and Artie. Colour is used in this chapter as the colour is black and white and it represents a very serious theme and the chapter is quite serious. The Language Choice helps to create the serious theme that adds to the chapter. Characterization helps as it brings out who the characters really are. Sequencing of events help as you start to feel bad for Vladek because Artie turns his offer of moving in with him down, before he tells more of his story. Perspective helps as it helps to make the story more realistic because it is coming from someone who experienced everything first hand. 

Book 2 – Chapter 5

Give a general overview (description) of what happens in this chapter.

In this chapter everything is resolved and the end of both stories resolved. You find out what happened at the end of the war and Vladek and Anja finally found each other again. You also find out what happened to Vladek at the end of his life and what Artie does.

Identify which main themes are seen in this chapter.

The main themes within this chapter are love, survival, family and journey.

Tell us what we learn about the main characters in this chapter.

There are not many new things that we learn about the main characters as it is the final chapter of the book. However we do learn that Vladek is in fact getting a lot sicker and eventually his body can’t take it anymore and he dies. We learn that Artie starts to care a lot more about his dad and is there a lot to be with him through his final days. We learn that it took a long time for Anja and Vladek to find each other again, and we learnt how happy they were.

Explain what Art Speigelman is trying to tell us about the main themes in this chapter (what is his message?)

Love: The theme of love is giving us the message of the love that Anja and Vladek feel for each other. The love powerful enough to get them both through being separated for that long with the horrible situation going on around them. It is also giving us the message of how much Artie actually loves his father even though he doesn't always show it.

Survival: The theme of survival is conveying the message of that feeling of accomplishment and happiness that they made it through the war and all the violence that they were lucky enough to survive when so many didn’t.

Family: The feeling of family that comes when you get through an experience like the holocaust and you want to be with people and your family. Also the way that family looks after each other and supports one another.

Journey: The journey that Vladek and Anya had to go through and the summing up of the whole traumatic experience that they had to go through, was like the end of the journey that the book portrayed.

Identify the various techniques that Art Speigelman uses in this chapter to help us understand the themes and the characters.

      Relationships/interactions between characters

      Sequencing of events

Explain why/how these techniques are effective.

Speigelman uses the technique of relationships and the interaction between characters to help us understand the themes and characters in the book. The interaction between Anja and Vladek help us understand the themes of love and family and help us understand how much Vladek and Anja really love each other. Speigelman also uses the technique of sequencing of events as the constant flipping and changing of time periods helps sum up the journeys taken by the character and finishes both stories at once creating the sense of resolution.

During the 5th and final chapter of Maus, the book come to an end. It has the resolution to the story Vladek is telling about the war, you learn that Anja is alive in a fast flash back and she is waiting for Vladek to return to her and he is waiting to find her where abouts. In the present Mala calls Artie to come to Florida to be with Vladek for his last time as he has become very sick. In the the final cell as Vladek is about to go to sleep he calls his son (Artie) Richieu which is very sad as by telling the stories memorie have rushed back and he remembers the loss of his son.

The main themes are loss, hope and love.

In this chapter the main characters you learn about are Vladek, Anja and Artie. Thought the whole novel you learn about Vladek's travels and many tragic events.But in the final chapter you learn that together Vladek and Anja never gave up hope, they new in there hearts that they would be together again they just had to be patient. Artis however will have regretted not becoming close with his father sooner, as he had not learnt everything about Vladek and his life and emotional stories he will regret not having a father son relationship with him.

Art Speiglman uses this chapter to help us understand that you can never take anything for advantage, especially in the novel his father. How he never ask before about his life and the war, and now that he showed an interest he has a lot of time wasted and parts of the story not complete.

The techniques used by Art Speiglman in Maus are colour, artwork help us understand the themes and the characters.

The techniques colour and artwork are used effectively throughout the final chapter. The artwork that Art Speiglman uses (people as animals) is really effective as just by looking at the illustrations you know the type of person they are, if that's Jew to nazi to a kind German woman (pg291). The Colour scheme he has chosen is black and white, this in its self creates tension and darkness, despair and no hope. It create the mood for the whole novel depending on how deep the black shade is creates the angry or fear. These two techniques together balance out and become very effective.