Wilson 1

Keldon Wilson
Mr. Whitely
English 12
26 October 2015
Maus/Film Project
The Holocaust refers to the period of January 30, 1933, when Adolf Hitler became
chancellor of Germany. This event took place when the war of Europe officially ended May 8,
1945. During this time, Jews in Europe were subjected to progressively harsher persecution that
ultimately led up to the murder of over 6,000,000 Jews and the destruction of 5,000 Jewish
communities. In the novel Maus I and Maus II, as well as the film Life is Beautiful also took
place during this time. Throughout the novel Maus I, Maus II, and the film Life is Beautiful, guilt
seems to be a common theme that is very prevalent in both formats. Both the novel and the film
tell similar stories about the Holocaust and the struggle that Jewish people went through at this
time.
In the first Maus book, Art Spiegelman arrives in Rego Park, New York, to dine with his
father, Vladek, a Holocaust survivor. It is immediately apparent that the two men are not
particularly close. Art's mother, Anja, killed herself in 1968, and Vladek is now married to a
women named Mala, herself a survivor of the Holocaust. Throughout this book there are many
situations that emphasize guilt for being the theme in this novel. Within the book, Art often feels
guilty for being a bad son, the publication of Maus, and the guilt over the death of his mother.
Congratulations! Youve committed the perfect crime You put me here Shorted all my
crossed my wires! You murdered me, Mommy, and you left me here to take the rap!!!
(Spiegelman. Maus I. 105). In Prisoner on Hell Planet, Art depicts himself as a prisoner jailed

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for killing his mother or contributing to her suicide. This is an example of Art taking all the
blame for his mother's passing and his inability to help her is from murdering herself, thus
feeling guilty for his mother's death.
In Maus II, the relationship between Art and his father remains the same as it was in the
first book. Although the two individuals work hard to rebuild their relationship a lot within the
novel. The ongoing strain in their companionship is still in existence. Maybe your father needed
to show that he was always right, that he could always survive, because he felt guilty about
surviving... And he took his guilt out on you, where it was safe on the real survivor.
(Spiegelman. Maus II. 34). This quote was taken from a time when Art was talking to a therapist
named Pavel. Pavels words make Vladek a far more sympathetic character. Vladek's behavior is
explained as arising out of his conflicted feelings about survival, and not necessarily from his
belief in his superiority over his son. Hearing these words makes Artie feel bad and convinces
him to think that the stain between Art and his father is due to himself.
In the film Life is Beautiful, the main character Guido, experiences a lot of guilt
throughout the movie. The film takes place when Guido, a Jewish librarian and his son become
victims of the Holocaust, he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor and imagination to protect his
son from the dangers around their camp. What kind of place is this? It's beautiful: Pigeons fly,
women fall from the sky! I'm moving here! (Life Is Beautiful, Roberto Benigni). Guido feels
guilty for the situation him and his family is in, by not telling his son the truth about them being
in concentration camp is Guidos way of coping with the predicament that they are in. Dora
Guido's wife and the mother of their only born son also experiences a tremendous amount of
guilt. When Giosue, Dora's son, and Guido are taken to a concentration camp, she insists on
going, too, even though she is not Jewish. The guilt that she was feeling at the time convinces

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Dora to aboard the train that her family was on., knowing that the destination ahead would be
dreadful.
Furthermore, the main theme in the novel Maus and the film Life is Beautiful is guilt.
Throughout both, the novel and the film, the characters can relate and associate themselves due
to the fact that feeling guilty is a trait that they all have in common. Although the characters in
Maus and the characters in Life is Beautiful have different stories, their situation are quite similar.
Thus being the reason why the theme Maus and Life is Beautiful is Guilt.