Nazis

Stripes in Maus is a motif that is prominent in every moment of the book, especially those foreshadowing events. In the first panel of this scene on page 79, we see Vladek's father-in-law playing cards with one of his old buddies. Both Jews, Zylberberg is told that a German soldier is willing to take his furniture for a price. Yet, he is cheated of his money. Taking a closer look, Zylberberg's friend is dressed in a striped suit. This is a symbol that shows how he is already under German control. Whether he knew what was going to happen or was under the manipulation of Nazis, his friend did exactly as a Nazi would and sold out another Jew. In the next panel, the door and lower rim of the walls are covered in stripes, but as Zylberberg starts to realize that he is being used and taken advantage of by Nazis, the entire background becomes striped walls. This symbolizes how no matter how much Jews tried to survive or make better of a situation, they only began to feel and become more enclosed in the inevitable destination of concentration camps as the reality of the severity of the situation closed in.

" I like to fight Nazis. A lot"

People from all kinds of backgrounds were affected by the holocaust. Unlike other wars, those who had a lot of influence and money were as equally devastated as those without much. This series of panels emphasizes this, as it illustrates that regardless of the connections and the possible deals people in power cut, to gain money on the side during the war, they were still unsuccessful and dangerous. The advantage people with power had was little and only lasted a short amount of time. Their power served as an illusion that left them defenseless when there weren’t any more connections to use for favors.