Maus Reading Chapters 1-3

In Chapter 1, Artie talks to his father explaining to him that he would like to make a book about his father's experiences, and sufferings, during the Holocaust. Artie's father begins to talk about his relationship with a woman, Lucia, and how he felt that she was not the right one for him. He then begins to tell the story of how he met Anna, Artie's mother, and his tough, long break- up with Lucia. Anna comes from a very wealthy family, however, she is not as pretty as Lucia. Vladek explains his reasoning of why he chose Anna over Lucia, and some of those reasons were because of her sensitivity and how smart she was. They get engaged, and marry, and he moves to her town to live. This chapter to me, showed how normal society was before the Holocaust and Nazi Germany had set in, and taken over. Everyone had dreams, and goals, that they were accomplishing. One of those dreams was Vladek opening and running a textile factory, in which he did.

In Chapter 2, Anna becomes depressed and both, Vladek and Anna, leave their newborn son to stay with Anna's parents, and go to a center for Anna to recover. Vladek had also left his factory under the supervision of his father-in-law, since he was the one that had given him the money to build and start it. On their way to the center, they begin to notice signs, and chants from civilians of different towns and cities, that were kicking Jews out. Three months later, not really knowing what has gone on in the real world, Anna recovers, and they return back home only to find that Vladek's textile factory had been robbed. With the help of Anna's father, he again gives him money, and the factory was rebuilt and finally going very well. News comes of a war starting, and Vladek gets a letter to go to the Polish reserves. He packs Anna and his son's things in a cart, and they depart their ways, Anna and their son going to safety, and Vladek turning and falling in line with the other troops.

In Chapter 3, Vladek goes into the army and has been given the task to start shooting one morning, at the Nazi's that were across the river. He does not feel that this is the right thing to do, but does as he is told. It is a Nazi victory, and Vladek is caught by them and taken as prisoner. He is given the task to go and round up all of the corpses, along with the other prisoners. They put him in a tent to stay in outside, and he is served only one meal a day of just a little bread and soup, and all of the prisoners freeze to death. Vladek finally takes advantage of an offering that is posted, and it is an offer to work, but they will be able sleep in warm cabins, and get plenty of food. After working there for a couple weeks, Vladek escapes and convinces a Polish conductor of the train, that he too is Polish, and that he would like to get across the border so that he can go home to see his family. He finally returns home, and surprises Anna and his son, them having no clue that he was on his way back.