Spring 2014 FRST 1002, Readings: the Human Condition

Spring 2014 FRST 1002, Readings: The Human Condition

Pam Cross, Instructor

Office: J-105i; office phone: 609-652-4899 (x4899); cell: 609-442-2293

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Study Guide for Test 2, March 21, 2014:

Part 1, worth 40 points. Take-home extended answer questions, due at the beginning of class on March 21. Please choose two of the following three questions and prepare extended answers to each of the following questions. Each question should be answered in about a page (double spaced). No more than three pages for both answers.

1. From Maus I: What is the effect on you, the reader, as you go from Poland during the war to Queens, New York in the 1980s. How does one picture of Vladek shed light on the other?

1. From Maus II:What is the impact of the photo of the young Vladek on page 134? Why do you think Spiegelman includes this photo at the end of the book?

1. From Courage to Care: What were some of the reasons non-Jews had for helping Jews during the Holocaust? Discuss the methods used by the Nazis to discourage non-Jews from helping Jews. Write at least a paragraph on each question and provide specific examples and quotations from The Courage to Care and perhaps the Maus books.

Part 2 (worth 60 points) will be ten short answer questions worth six points each. Each question should be answered in three to five sentences. A one- or two-sentence answer will receive partial credit. Here are some questions I like from assigned readings:

From Courage to Care:

1. Why did the Nazis feel it was important to try to convert the population of a conquered country to the Nazi ideology?

1. How did the film, The Eternal Jew, serve to advance the Nazi cause?

1. How does Pritchard feel about killing the Dutch policeman?

1. Why does Pritchard mention that she was brought up in the Anglican Church?

1. To what does Irene Opdyke attribute her courage to help Jews during the war?

1. What was the penalty in Poland for helping Jews?

1. What happened in 1975, long after she had immigrated to America, that made Irene decide she had to tell her story about the Nazi Holocaust?

From Maus I:

1. Why is the first chapter called “The Sheik”?

1. In Chapter 2, why doesn’t Vladek tell the doctor in the hospital about his glass eye? What does this say about Vladek’s character?

1. What happened to little Richieu? When Vladek begins telling this story on page 81, the first three rows of panels are set in the past, while the bottom three panels return us to the present and show the old Vladek pedaling his stationary bicycle. Why do you think Spiegelman chooses to conclude this anecdote in this manner?

1. Why do the Germans hang Nahum Cohn and his son? What effect does this hanging have on Vladek?

1. On page 93, Mala says that Vladek is more attached to things than people. Why might Mala say this? Do you believe this is true?

1. What was "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" all about (Chapter 5)? What new insights do you have about the author and his family?

1. Why does Art Spiegelman portray the paths as a swastika? How does this image express Vladek and Anja’s situation? ( image on bottom left, p. 125)

From Maus II:

1. Compare Francoise to Anja and Mala: (the other two major female characters in Maus). List positive attributes of each of these characters. List any negative attributes of each of these characters.List the reasons that each of these characters might appeal to Artie.

1. Vladek makes a huge fuss about matches and salt, even though they are very inexpensive. Why is this so important to Vladek?

1. Why do you think Artie has "shrunk down" to child size? What point is Spiegelman trying to make?After the session with Pavel, Artie "grows back" into his normal size. How can you explain this?

1. Artie listens to his conversation with Vladek, hears himself yell at Vladek, and becomes small again. Why does Spiegelman choose to keep drawing attention to this? Do you think this technique is effective?