Sunday, August 31, 2014

Question Commander -Asuna Ito

Week #2



Maus
Pg72-127
Question Commander

Question #1:




How come the story is written in a comic style?

As the first reason, the author used the technique of switching between reminiscence and Artie and Poppa of today's conversation. Comics have the agility to change scenes easily. The reason why he wanted to write that is because we can see his personality of his father after the war. The scene that shows this is on Pg 116:
Vladek “Inside it’s little wires. It’s good for tying things.”  
Artie “You always pick up trash! Can’t you just buy wire?”
Vladek “Pssh. Why always you what to buy when you can find!? Anyway, this wire they don’t have it in any stores.”
I can learn from this scene that Vladek takes good care of things because of his past experience.
I also thought of another reason that the author chose to write in a comic style. I believe that comics which have illustrations can allay the cruelty of the past.  Also, it is easier to understand than a regular written book, so we can accept those difficult facts.





Question #2




How do you think the Nazis felt during the war? Did any of their hearts ache for the Jews?

Where I was shocked to learn was that Children were hit on a wall by Nazis. Then I thought “Why can they treat Jews in such a disastrous way?” Although I’ve never seen the film, but I know a story that a German businessman, Schindler saved about 1,000 Jews who had been hired at the factory that he had managed by his own hand during the World War II. When I heard about this nonfiction movie, I was relieved a little that there was a man who didn’t want to hurt Jews. I believe that  normal humans can’t kill other people easily. Hitler ravaged Germany’s innocent mind. But there were some Nazis who didn’t agree with him like Schindler. They couldn’t stop their action. However at least Schindler saved some lives of Jews and others who might have saved Jews. Humans who are brainwashed will lose their real feelings, and they will also lose themselves like the Germans. I think Hitler did plunder everyone’s happy life.
   


Question #3




How did you feel when you saw the scene that Anja said "Oh god. Let me die too!"?
Imagine how you would think if you live in the period and the situation.

I learned that Anja didn’t just hope herself survive, she was afflicted to see her own family started to die off  one after another in front of her. In a book about people’s thought during the war, that I have read before, a main character said “I have survived at the expense of them.” I took his anguish from the line. If I am in situation of Anja, I would not want to live. However, if I had a chance to live, I must live because it means that I was given a mission to live. Live and tell the story that you experienced to people of the next generation. Now we have to make a good use of their experience and we never be allowed to make the same mistake again in this world.



10 comments:

  1. Hi Asuna!
    My answer to question #2:
    I think that there were some Nazis who did feel very bad for the Jews. I agree that no normal person can kill another human easily. I think some of the Nazis were only joining the Nazi group because it would protect them and their family. I sometimes think that they are being a coward, or something like that, for being a part of something that they don't believe in, but they are also doing it to protect their family. I think protecting you family is a very important thing to do. So I don't really know what to think when it comes to that.

    Thanks!

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    2. Thank you for the comment! I agree that the Nazis were being a part of something that they didn't believe in to protect their family. Perhaps some of them might have been think only about their family, like "I don't care about 'stranger' !" Eventually something that was important for them was their own family, same as Vladek.

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  2. After having read your blogpost I choose to interpret and write about your 3rd question. I found It interesting how you assumed that when a human being is put to live it must live and cherish every moment. Anja and all her family were very unfortunate yet, I believe that when you have the opportunity to receive or experience something you must take it. For example, when a friend walks up at you and offers you a sweet, you instantly will have choices, choices that have to been used very wisely. If you choose not to take it you should consider different points of view, that friend many times wants you to take the present and not regret it since she or he has done some work to stratify and please a mate. All we have now a days is the result of the work and effort of a human so if you want to die, think and re think, because the life Anja has is all product of their ancestors work. Regretting means throwing away something.

    Anja was going through a very complicated and difficult time at her life. But she has to learn to move on. She has to consider herself as lucky in my opinion. Like you said you have to live for future generations. I believe that Anja should think of all the things she has, and then judge what would the life of her sons, and grandsons and grand grand sons be without the help of Anja. Though, it was difficult you have to get up and live life since it is only one. Martin Luther King once said, “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Anja and all humans should live by this motto.

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  4. Asuna,
    I totally agree with you on Question #1, it is significantly easy to switch between different time periods. While reading through the passage from Question #2, I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach; how could these Nazis be so cold-hearted? I am glad that there are some people who do help other humans.

    On Question #3, you can see how family is important, by showing how Anja was left alone with Vladek, with only both of them while each and every one of their family members where flicked one by one into the never-ending darkness of DEATH. If I was in Anja position, I wouldn't understand why there was a will to live; but to go through those though times with your husband. Adolf Hitler has made several injuries in our world that will never be mended, but through those tough times you need a person to go through it all and in Anja's position that would be Vladek.

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  5. Asuna,

    I like your post not only because it has good writing, but because I had a similar question on #2.

    On question #2, I felt so bad knowing how cold-blooded some Nazis could be. But I felt relieved to know there were some who actually could be called humans, and could assume had a soul. Additionally, on question #3 we can definitely notice how Anja was feeling lost and confused of how her family was tearing apart by only one reason, death. It was only her and Vladek. The only one Anja really had was Vladek through that tough time not only for her, but for the other Jews. Although I understand what Anja was feeling, I wouldn't just give up. I would fight until the end, because you don't just stop your life if things get tough, you find a way through them, which I think is what Anja should have done.

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  6. Hi Asuna,
    I chose to answer your first question, about the fact that the book is written in comic book style. I think that the book would have no meaning if it were not a graphic novel. The title wouldn't make sense, the cats vs. mice metaphor wouldn't work, and the book would have had to be named something broad and boring, because its never good to get clever with these things. But with the graphic novel, they can make people from different nations and religions different animals so we can distinguish, the title makes sense, the book is easier to understand, because of the animal metaphors, and I think it was a really good idea that Art had.

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  7. Hi Asuna,
    I really like all of your questions but I'll answer to the third question you made:
    How did you feel when you saw the scene that Anja said "Oh god. Let me die too!"?
    Imagine how you would think if you live in the period and the situation.

    I think I would be very sad by how all the people I love are being killed just by the fact they are jew. Although I believe I won't want to die like Anja said, yet I still think it would make me extremely miserable and I would feel helpless about it.


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  8. Asuna,
    I think you put a lot of thoughts into those 3 questions. But the one that got me thinking the most was question #3, how did you feel when you saw the scene that Anja said "Oh god. Let me die too!"? Imagine how you would think if you live in the period and the situation. In my opinion I understood Anja, that she did not want to live anymore, because she was in a very hard situation. There was a war going on around her, her whole family was taken away one by one, and Anja, herself could've been found and taken away by the Nazis. Anja wanted to give up her whole life. But if I were in that situation of Anja, I would continue, and move on, with my life. Because I would have a choice, either to give up on life, or continue, and keep living life. So if I was in a situation of Anja, would choose to continue with my life. Moving on to the images you chose, I thought it was creative that one of the pictures was an animation. However, an image you could have put for the 3rd question is http://th09.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/i/2012/229/6/f/following_the_path____by_leady92-d5bed93.jpg . This image shows a person, walking towards the path to reach his or her goal. It also shows that he is moving on, and continuing with his life. OVeralll, I thought your post was very thoughtful, and was interesting to look at.

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