Chapter 4 Vocab
A supporter of a Jewish movement to re-establish the Jewish homeland
Zionist
How does the curfew and requirement for Jews to register their names increase the danger for Vladek and his family?
It allows the Nazis to identify and control the Jewish population, making it easier to target and deport them.
A person who gives information about another person (typically to police)
Informer
In the beginning of the chapter, Artie argues with Vladek about this hidden object.
What is Artie’s comic book “Prisoner on the Hell Planet”?
Small, hard abnormal mass that leads to pain or infection
Gallstones
This is where Vladek and Anja hide when the Nazis begin rounding up Jews in Sosnowiec.
What is the bunker behind the false wall in their house?
Shelter below ground for emergencies
Bunker
This is how Artie feels after hearing about his mother’s suicide.
What is guilt and anger?
A home that takes care of injured or ill patients
What is a Convalescent Home?
Vladek must sell this item to get food for his family while in hiding.
What is jewelry or valuables (like Anja’s watch)?
Sacred space dedicated to a person
Shrine
How does the change in the drawings and the use of the short comic “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” help readers better understand Artie’s feelings and the story’s message?
The change in the pictures makes the tone darker and more emotional. Showing “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” lets readers see Artie’s real pain and guilt about his mother’s death, helping us understand how the past still affects him.
In the public execution scene, which word represents what was tied around the necks of victims?
A Noose
Vladek’s decision to go to the black market shows this major theme of the novel.
What is doing whatever it takes to survive (survival under oppression)?
"Sorry for your mother's loss! Even though it was your fault"! is an example of someone speaking with ______.
Hostility
What difficult choice does Tosha make in Chapter 5, and what does it show about the terrible situation Jewish families faced during the Holocaust?
Vladek's family member poisons herself and the children, including Richieu, to keep them from being taken by the Nazis. Her choice shows how hopeless and dangerous life had become—many people felt death was better than being sent to the camps.
What word means expelled out of the country, and who was expelled in this chapter?
Anja’s grandparents are the ones deported from the country (and ultimately sent to Auschwitz)
What happens when the Nazis begin deporting Jews from Sosnowiec, and how does Vladek react to try to protect his family?
The Nazis tell Jewish families they are being “resettled,” but they are really sending them to death camps. Vladek tries to keep his family safe by finding hiding places and using his trading skills to survive.
An emotionally unstable person is
neurotic
What does Chapter 5 show about Vladek and Anja’s relationship, and how do their experiences during the war continue to affect them afterward?
The chapter shows that Vladek and Anja loved each other deeply but were both deeply affected by the trauma of the Holocaust. Anja’s mental health struggles and Vladek’s controlling behavior show how their painful past still shaped their lives even after the war ended.