Maus and the Psychological Effects of the Holocaust

During the Holocaust, Nazi Germany attempted to exterminate the entire Jewish population from Europe. Nazis effectively gathered and murdered almost six million Jews, making it the worst genocide in history. Vladek and his wife, Anja, were sent to Auschwitz, a concentration camp where at least at least one-third of all the deaths occurred (“Holocaust”). In the story, many characters describe the horrors they went

Vladek has many anxiety issues that directly relate to him surviving the Holocaust. He obsesses over money, making sure he never buys anything he does not have to and balances his checkbook until it is completely even (Maus II 23). One time while walking with Art, Vladek takes some phone wire he finds in a trash can. When Art asks him why he can't buy phone wire, Vladek remarks, “Pssh. Why always you want to buy when you can find!?” (Maus I 118). This is an example of Vladek’s thriftiness that can be seen throughout the story. According to the Trauma Recovery Program, “trauma itself triggers the anxiety disorder of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” (“Causes”). The traits expressed through Art’s character are not unique to him, but can be found repeatedly in the Holocaust survivor population.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects the lives of everyone involved, not just the victim of the trauma. The survivors of the Holocaust experienced such torture that they obviously could never recover. Maus shows that the symptoms of PTSD and the problems it imposes upon the family of a survivor make it a disorder that must be identified in people. There are many ways to treat PTSD, for the survivor and his family, which include medication, group, individual, cognitive-behavioral, and exposure therapy (“What”). Though none of these are a cure, by being aware of

Anja shows signs of depression as well. She had depression and anxiety disorders before the war, which left her more susceptible to PTSD afterwards. Vladek describes her before they were married as always being “anxious”, (Maus I 19). Anja was unable to cope with the loss of her son and almost her entire family. Years afterward she committed suicide. Suicide rates have become increasingly high among people who have suffered severe stress and trauma. Many people feel guilty for having survived the Holocaust when they were unable to help their loved ones survive (Robinson). According to Yael Danieli PhD, “the recent suicides of several highly successful and socially prominent Holocaust survivors highlights the potential risks of failing to appreciate the internal distress among survivors in the face of apparent success,” (Danieli). Survivors, like Anja, feel like they did not do all they could have to help their family and feel guilty for moving on with their life.

through during the capture. When Art goes to see his psychiatrist, a survivor himself, he asks him what Auschwitz felt like. The psychiatrist replies, “How can I explain? BOO! It felt like that. But always! F

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