Among the literary works read and discussed in the American Literary Traditions class, MAUS and Beloved stand out as remarkable examples of the type of literature that can be produced by human suffering. Both slavery and the Holocaust were the abominable results of racial intolerance, an occurrence that has plagued the human race since its beginning. Strange as it may seem, for humans are rational beings, this type of irrational bias has not been eradicated by humankind, and it continues to rear its ugly head in contemporary history.
Beloved and MAUS were both written by gifted humans whose existences have been marred not only by contemporary racism, but also the pain of the remembrance of the two historical crimes that have been committed against their people: the Holocaust and slavery. Their narratives strive not to focus solely on the events themselves, but also on the anguish that remains from the ghastly actions. As a result, the works become ways of healing; they are catharses that attempt to satisfy the author and the reader.
This non-linear essay is divided into several sections, each of which deals with the topic in a different capacity. These parts are listed below, and may be accessed directly by clicking on their title. Selecting a portion of this HTML document is not necessary; it may also be read by scrolling down the screen using the arrows to the right. In order to obtain the best possible reading out of this project, the links and references should be studied and analyzed, not only in regard to this work, but also in their own right.
Representation of Survivors in MAUS
The main character in MAUS, Vladek Spiegelman, is a Holocaust survivor who resides in the United States. His life story, told to his son and eventually drawn as the graphic novel, serves to give the reader a sense of the perils he has survived. The Jewish Holocaust, the twentieth century's main example of man's brutality, is only the beginning of Vladek's problems. The narrative presents an image of Vladek as a survivor, but prompts the reader to ask itself exactly what connotation the word possesses.
The second volume of the novel is titled "And Here My Troubles Began." For the unsuspecting reader, it seems ludicrous to give such a title, since it downplays the events that have transpired before the second part. Art's own attempts to understand the Holocaust proved to be a daunting task at the beginning of his project, since he could not picture himself in his father's place in order to get a better view as an actual witness of the Holocaust. At times, he grows angry at his father, as exemplified when Vladek confesses to burning Anja's diaries (I-159). The vignette is shown below:
Although Vladek survived the Holocaust, its memory is still quite vivid. He frowns at his son's attempt to write a novel about Vladek's experiences, believing time would be better spent on other endeavors. One example of such unwillingness can be found on page 12, when Vladek tells his son that "no one wants anyway to hear such stories." His attitude towards the situation can be explained by his desire not to recall painful memories that he has experienced, and survived, in the past. This trait can be found in many of such narratives, as many share a common thought: "I don't want to remember, but I just can't forget." This topic is analyzed by Doug Boin, Cleveland Lawrence III, and Patrick Ball in their online Beloved essay, which can be accessed here.
Vladek's life is altered as a result of the Holocaust, proving the experience was not eliminated by the conclusion of the Second World War. The event permanently scarred him and many other survivors, affecting their views, relationships, and ways of life. Art's relationship with his father is troubled by this occurrence, as he believes his father did not survive the Holocaust completely: "(I)n some ways he didn't survive" (II-90). The pain and anguish that Vladek feels is a direct result of the Holocaust; it is a part of his life he cannot eliminate. The image is shown below:
Although he did not experience the terrors of the Holocaust, Art could also be called a Holocaust survivor. As a member of the subsequent generations of Holocaust victims, he senses a strong connection with the plight of his people. Since he cannot use memories to aid his healing process, he decides to write a novel about his father's experiences. However, this catharsis is not fully successful, since at times he is unable to come to terms with his father's pain (and his own.) This feeling is demonstrated in several instances, the best of which occurs in page sixteen of the second volume, when Art himself says " I somehow wish I had been in Auschwitz with my parents so I could really know what they lived through." Even in the midst of the healing process, Art still feels a need to honor his heritage. In this occasion, he wishes for the martyrdom many others suffered, without realizing his task is perhaps greater: assuring the world does not forget about the Holocaust.
Several other minor characters also convey their memories and methods of dealing with the pain created by surviving the Holocaust. Art's psychiatrist confesses that, unlike others, he does not feel guilty about surviving the Holocaust. As shown in the vignette below, his memories of the "unspeakable evil" cause sadness instead of guilt or anger.
This sadness, perhaps inexplicable to someone who has not been a victim of a terrible occurrence, is but one of the many end results of the Holocaust. Art decides not to go deeper into the theme, but it remains important as one of the ways in which the pain is eased.
Anja and Mala also present divergent perspectives on the theme. Although Anja survived the Holocaust, her emotional pain is unbearable. The end result, suicide, should be viewed as a direct consequence of the Holocaust, and her death should not be attributed to mental depression, but to the concentration camps. Mala's character does not freely express her views on the Holocaust, except on one instance when she exclaims she went though the camps, and suffered the same actions. "Nobody," says Mala, " is like him," referring to Vladek's personality. Her character serves, among other things, as a reminder that Holocaust survivors deal with the pain and memories in different ways.
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Representation of Survivors in Beloved
Toni Morrison's Beloved is one of the most highly acclaimed novels on African-American life during and after the period of slavery. It presents the story of several people, connected by their race and past, struggling to survive not only slavery and its obvious mental and physical effects, but also the "unspeakable" crime of Beloved's slaughter. The methods employed differ according to the people, effectively portraying the plethora of techniques utilized by the survivors.
The Penguin edition of Beloved contains the following description of Sethe on the back:
Sethe. Proud and beautiful, she escaped from slavery but is haunted by its heritage. She must deal with this haunted life on every level, from the fires of the flesh to the heartbreaking challenges to the spirit.
The constant pain and anguish Sethe senses cannot be easily quenched. The images of a not-so-distant past, coupled with the deplorable living conditions of African-Americans, produce a kind of suffering that is further aggravated by the vivid image of the crime she committed. The slaying of her new-born daughter Beloved comes back to haunt her in the novel, as the "ghost" that inhabited 124 becomes the mysterious character of Beloved. The combination of these events proves to be too much for Sethe to handle, since she loses her mental faculties at the end of the novel, a victim of the mental pain that her life has accumulated.
Morrison also creates other characters, like Baby Suggs and Paul D., that face the daunting task of surviving slavery in different ways. Baby Suggs attains her freedom thanks to her son's labor, but faces an existence marred with pain. Paul D., one of her sons, prefers to run away from his white master, returning only years later to his old home. Paul D.'s character demonstrates the African-American desperation towards life after slavery, since its improvement was not exactly palpable.
These survivors of slavery discover freedom is not bliss, since they must deal not only with an unwelcoming society but also with the painful memories of their horrible past. The combination proves to be insurmountable for some of them (i.e., Sethe), and continues to be so for many African Americans today.
Subsequent Generations of Survivors in Both Narratives
As products of subsequent generations, Art Spiegelman and Toni Morrison do not warrant the label "survivors" in the same manner their ancestors do. Since they are incapable or relating to the plight of their people in the same way their forefathers are, Spiegelman and Morrison feel the urge to express their pain by penning narratives about the matter. The end result in each case is a wonderful narrative that "speaks the unspeakable" and attempts to heal the author.
Spiegelman's MAUS also serves the function of allowing the author to improve and build on the relationship with his father. As is the case with Vladek and Art, this kind of relationship can often become estranged due to the inability of both parties to relate to their pain. MAUS itself combines two narratives: Vladek's of his experience in the Holocaust, and Art's troubled relationship with his father.
Although Morrison's generation is almost a century removed from the cruelty of slavery, African Americans are still prejudiced against by many members of society, a bias due to skin color. As several students mentioned in their essays, this is another "American tradition," although not literary. Morrison's body of work is devoted to the troubled existence of African Americans in today's America, and several other writers are following suit. As with Spiegelman's case, Morrison has been unable to write from experience, for slavery preceded her existence, but her pain and that of her people is strong enough to motivate her imagination to create masterpieces such as Beloved.
By honing their ancestors and their memories, Morrison and Spiegelman not only heal themselves, but also assure humankind does not forget its lessons. No matter how painful or terrible, they must not be forgotten. Allowing mankind to forget these events would be disastrous, for we would run the risk of reliving them. Indeed, they must never again be experienced.
The Relationship Between Survivors and Victims
These narratives present various characters that can be described as either victims, survivors, or both. An important distinction should be made: all survivors are victims, but not all victims are, or become, survivors. This realization was made while I read the novels, and it became clear as I read my peers' essays, some of which presented opposing views. Roshanna Sabaratnam, for example, discussed how Vladek's experiences after the Holocaust had made him a "survivor" instead of a "victim." My analysis is rather different, for I believe the two can co-exist at times, as evident in Vladek. This difference is reflected in several characters of both MAUS and Beloved, and will be discussed in-depth below.
Those who were lucky enough to escape the evils of the Holocaust alive could be called both victims and survivors. Their " victim" status emanates from the terrible pains they suffered at the hands of the Nazis, while their label of "survivors" is a result of escaping the terrible event alive. Vladek is one such case, for he possesses both labels. However, being a survivor does not eliminate the fact that he was once a victim, for his existence is marred by the constant remembrance of the events he has experienced. Contrary to her spouse, Anja should not be considered a survivor, since her health and existence deteriorated enormously since the events of the Second World War, prompting her to commit suicide. Art is a victim, for he suffers from the psychological pain of his heritage's plight; yet he is also a survivor, for his catharsis (the graphic novel) succeeds in easing some of his pain.
Morrison's Beloved contains a similar melange of survivors and victims. Sethe is a victim of slavery and racial bias; she is not a survivor, since she is driven to insanity by the apparition of Beloved. The same could be said about this mysterious character, since she appears to haunt her mother and then disappears. Part reality, part fantasy, Beloved is wholly used by Morrison to speak the unspeakable, be it racism, her mother's crime, or a combination of both. Paul D. is also merely a victim, for he cannot escape the mindset created by slavery. Chatting with Stamp Paid, Paul asks "How much is a nigger supposed to take?" in a rhetorical fashion. Well aware of the answer, his desperation becomes an outbreak of tears, as he bitterly cries, "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?" (p.235.) Denver, Sethe's other daughter, could be regarded as both a victim and as a survivor, but the novel does not give much information on her existence after and before the events transpired in the narrative.
As evident in these novels, the term "survivor" can have many different connotations depending on the context in which it is used. MAUS and Beloved are remarkable examples on the way human beings react differently during and after terrible events. Although they might physically survive the event, mentally they might not. Another important point is the relationship between survivor and victim. My view is in opposition to one of my classmates' (click here for her essay), for I believe becoming a survivor of the Holocaust does not replace being a victim. Instead, both natures lead a troubled coexistence, as evident in Vladek. The same scenario may be found in the lives of African-Americans, for they are both victims and survivors of slavery and racial prejudice. As these novels have shown, it is possible, although difficult, to heal oneself after inexplicable injustices like the Holocaust and slavery. How one chooses to undergo one's catharsis is a personal decision; Morrison's and Spiegelman's methods deserve acclaim for also helping others achieve such healing. Not only are they survivors, but they also facilitate the survival of others, effectively helping both their heritage and humanity in general.
NOTE: The page numbers used in quotations that appear on this essay correspond to the following editions of the texts:
Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Plume/Penguin, 1988.
Spiegelman, Art. MAUS. Pantheon, 1991.