MAUSAnja and “Prisoner on the

Hell Planet” By: Pandu Ekoyudho

Mr. Klemp English 10B

10 November 2013

“I wish for a moment that time would lift me out of this day, and into

some more benign one. But then I feel guilty for wanting to avoid the

sadness; dead people need us to remember them, even if it eats us,

even if all we can do is say "I'm sorry" until it is as meaningless air.”

― Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

“I wish I could say I felt guilty for what I did.

I don't.”

― Veronica Roth, Divergent

Background and

Summary

❧ Anja (Zylberberg) Spiegelman was a pretty young lady from Sosnoweic.

❧ She came from a wealthy family and her father was a successful businessman

named Zylberberg.

❧ Anja was an intelligent woman because she was be able to attend a high

education.

❧ She married Vladek, a man from Czestochowa, Poland, in February 14, 1937.

❧ He was known as nice and handsome boy.

❧ Their marriage blessed with a kid named Richeu.

Brief Summary

❧ There were a lot of problems happening to Anja and Vladek during the war.

❧ Her father in law didn’t survive from the holocaust, then Anja was separated from

her family. Also their first kid, Richeu, didn’t survive.

❧ Anja’s character changed after the war. It shows in the comic called, “Prisoner on

the Hell Planet”.

❧ This comic tells about Anja’s committed suicide.

Preview

❧ What we already know?

❧ Anja as a young lady (before the war)

She was a lenient woman i.e.: “Yes, Anja was too easy with you always.” (Spiegelman 1, pg: 44)

Wealthy and intelligent i.e.: “There’s a girl in my class-… she is incredibly clever, from a rich family…a good girl…”

(Greenberg, 15)

She used to take medicines i.e.: “…The pills were only because she was so skinny and nervous.” (2, pg: 19)

She was a independent and less attractive lady “…Not so like Lucia…but if you talked a little to her, you started loving her more and more.” (3,

pg: 18)

❧ Anja (During and after the war)

She just relied on Vladek i.e.:

Vladek always went out to look for food for Anja

She worried a lot (Depressed) i.e.:

“Don’t leave me alone again. I’m terrified while you are gone” (Zylberberg 1, pg:140)

Its difficult to decide a decision with her i.e.:

“… NO VLADEK! You’re crazy… I am NOT GOING!...”(2, pg; 151)

Anja was powerless.

She devoted to her kid Richieu.

Analysis

❧ Anja the protagonist character showed:

❧ How does the character of Anja change overtime?

❧Anja is a round and dynamic character.

Dynamic: her character is different from the beginning with the end. Her character was changing from powerful to powerless

Round: her character is fully developed around the story.

❧ How does the “Prisoner on the Hell Planet” relate to Anja?

❧ Flashback comic that had been created by Artie about Anja

“In 1968 when I was 20 my mother killed herself… she left no note!” (Spiegelman 4, pg:100)

❧ Foreshadow story about Anja’s suicide

“They think its my fault!!!” (5, pg 103)

❧ What are the relations between Anja and Artie?

❧ What we know:

❧Anja was nice mother for Artie

❧ “…Mom would eventually feed me something I liked…” (Spiegelman 6, pg: 44)

❧ Who was the real murderer?

❧ Was it Artie?

❧ “B***h, Hitler did it, menopausal depression, Mommy!!”…. (7, pg: 103)

❧ “Now you cry, better you cry when your mother was still alive…” (Anonymous 1, pg: 102)

❧ “You MURDERED me Mommy!...” (8, pg: 103) *Irony

❧ Or Anja itself?

❧ How does Artie represent him self in the comic?

❧ Stripe pajamas : Guilty

❧ His falling tears: Cannot accept the fact

❧ The prison: Lost feeling and hopeless

❧ Why Anja didn’t leave a note?

❧ She might didn’t want to blame anyone

❧ She might didn’t want to make something goes worst.

❧ How does this affect to Artie and the people?

❧ Depressed

❧ Mysterious

❧ What if Anja leave a note?

Good things :

❧ People would know who caused her

suicide.

❧ No more questions questioning Artie.

❧ No more backbiting.

Bad things :

❧ Someone who is guilt could be caught

and going to be in a big trouble.

Themes and

Connection

“I wish for a moment that time would lift me out of this day, and into some more benign one. But

then I feel guilty for wanting to avoid the sadness; dead people need us to remember them, even if it

eats us, even if all we can do is say "I'm sorry" until it is as meaningless air.”

“I wish I could say I felt guilty for what I did.

I don't.”

❧ Guilty case of the story

❧ Artie’s perspective…

❧ Feels sorry about being a bad son.i.e.

❧ “Now you cry, better you cry when your mother was still alive…” (Anonymous 1, pg: 102)

❧ There is only contrition i.e.

❧ “Artie…You…still…love…me…don’t you?”, Anja. “Sure Ma!”, Artie’s respond.

❧ Feel trapped.

❧ Anja’s perspective…

❧ If she wrote a note, someone that make her suicide would be harassed and ignored.

❧ Guilty in real life….

❧ Crime could be unaccepted by the society.

❧ Suicide

❧ Caused depression to all people.

❧ Make people feel guilty for somebody else.

❧ Mysterious (Anja’s case).

❧ Anger.

❧ Power

❧ How suicide become powerful.

❧ When it is used to manipulate somebody.

❧ How it becomes powerless.

❧ When the guilt is right.

Reviewand

Conclusion

❧ Anja Spiegelman was a pretty, intelligent, and wealthy young lady.

❧ She married Vladek and born a kid named Richieu.

❧ Anja and Vladek was a holocaust survivor. Their kid Richieu, didn’t survive from

the war.

❧ Her character totally changed from before and after the war.

❧ She ended her life in 1968 by committed suicide and she didn’t leave any note.

❧Artie feels guilty about it but he also doesn’t think that it was his fault.

❧ “They say it’s my fault”

“I wish I could say I felt guilty for what I did.

I don't.”

❧ Artie always being ignorance to Anja before the suicide happened.

❧ He turns away after his mother ask him that he loved her or not.

❧ The cause of the suicide is foreshadowing the whole story because Anja didn’t

leave any note either.

❧Guilty, depression, and suicide are the message of the story.

❧My own perspective

❧ In this crime there are two possibilities could happen.

❧ First, because of Richieu didn’t survived from the war, Anja still miss him

and she might always talked about him and loved him much more rather

than Artie. So it made Artie feels that he is not a perfect son for her.

❧Second, there is a problem between Artie and his parent about his

girlfriend that he has and their parent didn’t like her. This might be caused

Artie feels stressful and he got a mental illness. Then because of his hatred

he ignored his mother until she committed suicide. Where afterwards he

had to be put in jail because he was stamped as a suspect.

MLA Bibliography1. Spiegelman, Art. MAUS 1: A Survivor’s Tale, My Father Bleed History. New

York: Random House, Inc. 1992. Print.2. Case, Julia. "Prisoner on the Hell Planet: A Case History.” 27 March 2011.

Digication, Inc. 7 November 2013. https://bu.digication.com/jaccase/Prisoner_on_the_Hell_Planet