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Morgan Sipes
Mr. Salow
English 11
14 December 2016

Maus Five Frame Part 2

I am doing my Five Frame Analysis on pages 98-99. I am doing it on this page because it
expresses how the Jews can be just as bad as the regular people (Germans). I say this because the
Germans were very racist against Jewish folk (obviously) and you would think that everything
that the Jewish people have been through they would see life differently and not be so cruel
towards other races. I mean I could see how people could get that they would be racist against
other races because everything that they have been through caused them to never have faith in
humanity again, but to each there own right?
Why I got that Vladek was very racist in this page is because (in short words) a black
person asked for a ride somewhere with the Spiegelman's and Vladek said it was a bad idea
because he stereotyped black people. For example, A hitch-hiker? And-oy-its a colored guy, a
shvartser! Push quick on the gas! Vladek said this to Francoise, who was stopping to pick up the
hitch-hiker. My opinion on this is that (not to be rude in any way) but I think that with everything
that the jews had/have been through that they wouldnt stereotype people the way that they were
stereotyped, but I guess I am wrong because Vladek sure didnt have a problem stereotyping
anyone.
Even though this hitch-hiker that they picked up was perfectly nice and well mannered
(maybe not the grammar) Vladek was still persistently rude and withdrawn from him. For
example, Thanks. Its a hot day fo walkin. But in return Vladek came back with, Moz boze!

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Co sie stalo jego zonie?
Czy ona zglupiala. Which means (in polish), Oh my God! Whats happened to his wife? Shes
lost her head!. In my opinion I think it was perfectly fine. Vladek wasnt just complaining about
having a hitch-hiker in the car, he was perfectly fine with the thought of a hitch-hiker being in
the car until he found out that it was a black hitch-hiker then it was the end of the world.
Vladeks way or no way at all apparently.
The next frame says, Mah cousin's place is jus up th road. With Vladek responding
like he would any other time he is irritated and or distraught by the situation. Psia krew! To nie
mozliwe. A shvartser siedzi tu mna! Which in polish means @!*!! I just cant believe it!
Theres a SHVARTSER sitting in here! Again is way over dramatic and rude. Vladek knows that
this is the only way he could speak so that Francoise and Art could know what he was saying
without the colored guy knowing what he was saying. All that Im saying is I wish that guy
secretly understood everything he was saying, but I dont even think Vladek would feel bad or
even a bit embarrassed about it even if he did because thats just Vladek's careless intuition.
The next frame shows them dropping off the hitch-hiker at his familys house down the
road and it shows the guy (yet again) being nice and showing no harm. Yall take care now an
be good And that is then followed by Vladek's nasty comebacks that isnt in polish this time.
What happened on you, Francoise? You went crazy or what? I think think that Vladek thought
he was about to get murdered by this stranger that happens to be black. And yes I know in
todays world this a lot different and it could be scary and that could be their intentions, but this
is also the same reason people dont hitch-hike or pick up hitch-hikers anymore.
The next frame goes into Art yelling at his father for being racist after everything he has
been through, he tells him that it is astounding for him to be this racist. Thats outragous! How

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can you, of all people, be such a racist! You talk about blacks the way the nazis talked about the
Jews! Vladeks response was simply Ach!... I think that Vladek was being a hypocrite about
the whole situation and it is ridiculous. He has lived thorugh the horrible things that the nazis
have done yet he still continues to treat the blacks just as bad as he was once treated. He knows
how bad this can be and he knows of how the blacks have tried to fight for what they have and
what they can do. He knows how it feels to be on top of the totem pole (class reference if I do so
say).
So this is of course a FIVE frame analysis and I can only do my essay on FIVE frames,
but if I could go on I would. It goes more into detail about Vladek being so racist and why he
shouldnt be and he and his father get into quite the tiff until Francoise breaks it up (not literally
but verbally). See I wish I could have done more in that area but I needed to tell the backstory to
the actual story or the reader wouldnt get it (assuming they havent read the book yet). My job is
to make things clear enough for people who havent read the book yet (or have even heard of the
book) to be able to understand and have a clear picture of what was happening and why it is
important.
But getting back to my original point I think that it was way too much of a overreacting
moment on Vladeks part. But I also dont think Vladek realizes just how much of the hurt (not
so much just hurt but the importance of the things) the things he said really mean. I think he
thinks its okay to say that stuff because he has had that stuff said about him (apparently hes not
much for the Do unto others as you want done onto you). But that never makes it right or okay.