Vocabulary in Maus

An extreme test of loyalty: Vladek means that only desperate, shared hardship reveals whether people are truly devoted to each other, not ordinary good times.

Had an emotional impact on someone; moved or troubled them inwardly. Vladek admits that certain events genuinely stirred his feelings when he was young.

Written material promoting Communist political ideas, which was illegal and extremely dangerous to possess under Nazi and pre-war Polish authorities.

A specific weekly Torah portion read in synagogue on a set date each year; the rabbi uses it as a prophecy, telling Vladek he will be freed on that particular Sabbath.

In Holocaust survivor slang, someone who is resourceful and clever enough to barter, scheme, and arrange necessities in order to stay alive under impossible conditions.

Constantly fleeing from danger, moving from place to place to avoid being caught by those hunting you.

Forced mass gatherings in which Nazi soldiers swept through an area to capture Jewish people and send them to concentration camps or death.

The forced removal of people from their homes by authorities and their transport, usually by train, to concentration or death camps.

Exploited every person around him for personal gain, demanding payment or valuables in exchange for any help, with no concern for others' welfare.

To kill people by sealing them in a chamber and pumping in poisonous gas; the method used in Nazi extermination camps.

The Nazi camp process of sorting newly arrived prisoners into two groups: those kept for forced labor and those sent immediately to be killed.

Permanently marked with ink forced under the skin; at Auschwitz, prisoners had identification numbers tattooed on their arms, replacing their names.

Not good enough for the task; here, Art feels his artistic and personal abilities fall far short of capturing the true horror of what happened.

To piece together a past event from memories, interviews, and fragments, building a picture of something you did not personally witness.

The most terrible scenario a person can picture in their mind; Art says the real Holocaust was worse even than the worst thing he could conceive.

A heavy emotional weight or responsibility that is difficult to carry; Art's therapist reframes his guilt not as a burden but as something meaningful.

In a state of deep, paralyzing sadness and hopelessness that goes beyond ordinary unhappiness, leaving a person unable to function normally.

Relating to a moment when a story openly draws attention to itself as a constructed work, breaking the boundary between the author's real life and the narrative.

A serious medical condition in which the heart can no longer pump blood efficiently, causing fluid to build up in the body; the illness that kills Vladek.

An extreme unwillingness to spend money or share resources, even when one can afford to; a trait Art finds frustrating in his father Vladek.

People who secretly and illegally move other people or goods across borders, often for money; Vladek paid them to escape but was betrayed.

Bands of cloth worn around the upper arm; Nazis forced Jews to wear these, usually marked with a Star of David, to identify and humiliate them publicly.

Forced by authority or power to do something, with no real choice in the matter; the Jews had no option but to obey Nazi orders.

Trading goods or skills directly for other goods or favors, without using money; inside Auschwitz, Vladek used this to obtain food and protection.

The skilled trade of working with thin sheets of metal to make or repair objects; Vladek used this ability in Auschwitz to make himself useful and survive.