Characters
Artie’s father. Artie is interviewing this character to learn more about his experiences during the Holocaust. This character has strange habits and can be rude.
Vladek
Lennie and George have a goal of saving up enough money so that they can eventually “live offa the fatta the land [live off the fat of the land].” They believe if they work hard enough, they can achieve this goal. Once they do, Lennie will tend to the rabbits.
What do Mala and Vladek constantly fight about throughout Book 1 of Maus?
The way Vladek will never give Mala money or spend money
Lennie can best be described as…
A large and strong man, who thinks like a child
Which animals are used to portray Jews and Germans?
Jews are mice, and Germans are cats.
This character works on the same ranch as George and Lennie. He complained that Candy’s dog was old and stinky. After Candy agreed, he took the old dog outside of the bunkhouse and shot it in the back of the head.
Carlson
Crooks, who is African American, lives away from the other ranchers and is not treated the same as others. Years of being treated poorly due to being African American have led him to feel bitter and isolated.
Racism and Prejudice
True or False: The American Dream is defined as… The ideal that every person in the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.
True
What does Candy mean when he says, “Curley’s pretty hand”?
Curley is a good fighter.
What is “Prisoner of the Hell Planet”?
A comic Artie wrote about his mother, Anja’s, suicide
After his first wife passed away, Vladek remarried. This character is his second wife. She is often frustrated with his behavior and that he never wants to spend his money. She also went through the Holocaust.
Mala
Vladek and Anja must make the choice of whether to continue hiding in a cellar or to be smuggled out of Poland and into Hungary. This is not easy for them because they could be found if they stay in Poland but they also do not know or fully trust the smugglers.
Difficult Decisions
Which animal is a symbol for George and Lennie’s dream?
Rabbits
Why do Lennie and George travel together?
George looks after Lennie after Aunt Clara died; George admits he would be very lonely as a traveling rancher without his companion.
Describe intergenerational trauma
Family members from a previous generation (i.e. grandparents, parents), who went through a very traumatic or distressing event, can affect the next generation (i.e. children) or pass down trauma through the way they act, behave, and react.
This elderly character is missing a hand and fears the day he will no longer be needed on the ranch. When he hears about George and Lennie’s plan, he offers to give them money so that he can be part of their plan.
Candy
George and Lennie travel together and rely on one another. Others comment on how unusual their companionship is, but George argues that he’s seen ranchers work alone for too long and get strange from being on their own all the time.
Friendship
In class, we discussed how the Holocaust didn’t happen overnight but was gradual and systematic. What were clues that showed antisemitism intensifying in Europe? Circle all letters that apply.
Vladek’s business was robbed.
Jewish businesses were taken over by “Aryan managers.”
Jewish citizens were forced to wear a Star of David as identification.
Jewish people were taken away and did not return to Poland.
Vladek’s business was robbed.
Jewish businesses were taken over by “Aryan managers.”
Jewish citizens were forced to wear a Star of David as identification.
Jewish people were taken away and did not return to Poland.
What are two obstacles that get in the way of George and Lennie achieving their dream?
Lennie gets into trouble, which causes the pair to lose their job and relocate. For example, they lost their last job when Lennie grabbed a lady’s dress and scared her.
George says he wants to save his money but goes to the bar on weekends and spends his paycheck.
Describe the perspective from which Maus is told? Whose story is it?
Artie is interviewing his father, Vladek; Vladek’s personal memories of the Holocaust are presented as a flashback.
This character decided to poison her own children and her nephew, Richieu, when she learned they would be sent to Auschwitz. Her decision can be seen as a form of rebellion or completely inappropriate since Richieu was not her child.
Tosha
While Anja and Vladek are hiding, we notice that the non-Jewish Poles (seen as pigs) they encounter have very different reactions to them. Some Poles offer them shelter and help, others slam the door in their face (even though they used to be friends), and others even try to get Anja and Vladek caught.
Protecting Yourself v. Protecting Others
What are two ways the time period in which Of Mice and Men takes place (1930s, Depression-era America) contributes to the events that take place during the story? Please describe how WORK and DIFFERENCES (i.e. mental ability/race) were different during this time.
During the 1930s, people who were perceived as different due to their race (i.e. Crooks) or mental disabilities (i.e. Lennie) were often mistreated or isolated.
During the 1930s, work was hard to find and money was scarce, which is why many of the ranchers were forced to move from place to place in search of a job and had little to no money or belongings.
What event acts as a parallel for the end of the novella?
Carlson takes Candy’s old dog outside and shoots it in the back of the head out of mercy.
How is the theme of survival seen in Maus?
Anja and Vladek go to great lengths to avoid being found, such as hiding in multiple bunkers that have limited food and are very small.
Vladek sells goods on the black market in order to support his family once he is no longer able to legally work.