MAUS Lesson Plan

What does Art's response when Vladek asks him to fix his roof drain reveal about their relationship?

Art tells Francoise that he always avoided helping Vladek around the house, as Vladek used it as an opportunity to show how much better he was at everything. In fact, Art entered the world of comics simply because it was one area in which his father had no expertise. Their interaction about the drain shows the exasperation and guilt that Art feels in equal part whenever they interact. This could well be why, at the beginning of Maus, he mentions that he hasn't seen his father in two years.

Why do you think Art felt compelled to write Prisoner on the Hell...