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Background
Characters
Maus Vocabulary
Chapter 1 Story Questions
Maus Comprehension
100
What country is Czestochowa in?
Poland.
100
Who is Artie?
The author and son.
100
What does 'rotten egg' mean? Example: Last one to the school yard is a rotten egg!
Rotten egg = a loser.
100
In Maus, what does it mean if a person is a "survivor?"
It means that person survived the Holocaust.
100

Why does Vladek have numbers on his arm?

They are identification numbers burned on his skin from the concentration camp

200
In what era (time) does Maus take place?
Mid 1930s - 1944. World War II.
200
Who is Anja?
Artie's mother.
200
What is the Holocaust?
The holocaust was the killing of the Jews by Hitler and the Nazis.
200
How did Vladek meet Anja?
Every holiday, Vladek traveled from Czesthochowa to Sosnowiec. A friend introduced them.
200

What does Artie mean when he writes "she was a survivor, too?" 

She survived the Holocaust

300
What ethnicity (people) do the mice represent?
Jewish People (Jews).
300
Who is Vladek?
Artie's father.
300

What does "ashamed" mean?

Embarrassed 

300
Was Anja pretty? Why did Vladek like her? What does "beauty isn't everything" mean?
Anja was not very pretty. Vladek liked her because she was very smart and had a good personality. Beauty isn't everything means that it is more important how a person thinks and feels than looks.
300

What happened to Artie's mother?

She died from suicide 

400
What is the official language of Poland?
Polish.
400
Who is Lucia?
The psycho girlfriend!
400

What does 'well off' mean? Example: The Zylberberg family was well off

Well off = very rich.

400
What problems did Lucia make for Vladek? Why?
Lucia wanted Vladek to choose her. She wrote a letter to Anja saying bad things about Vladek's reputation. She wanted revenge!
400
At the end of chapter 1, Vladek says he doesn't want the story of Lucia and Anja in the book. Why?
He says it is private and that it is not relevant to Hitler and the holocaust.
500
Why does Anja take pills?
Because she is skinny and nervous.
500
Who is Mala?
Vladek's second wife.
500
What does 'dowry' mean?
Dowry = wedding gift from bride's family.
500
What does 'toast' mean? What drink does the family toast?
A toast = cheers! They toast with vodka.
500

Artie says "I promise" to not write the story of Lucia and Anja in the book. He breaks his promise. Why?

He says it makes the story more real and more human