Vladek Spiegelman is a Jewish Holocaust survivor who's stories, recollections, and memories help Art, his son, create MAUS. He experiences horrible pains in the Holocaust and Auschwitz. Louis Zamperini is a WW2 veteran who survived a plane crash, 47 days on a raft in the ocean, and years in brutal Japanese POW camps.
Both people survived the unthinkable pains of human brutality and physical, as well as, emotional corrosion. While many in their situation were killed, or killed themselves, Vladek and Louis are renowned for their resilience and strategy within their situations. Vladek, being a multi-skilled, tri-lingual, money-saving, Jew, managed to save food, bribe officials, escape death, and eventually live through the Holocaust. Louis used his skills as an Olympic level track star and strong willed fighter pilot to steal food, perform POW jobs, and ultimately withstand extreme levels of pain on a daily basis.
Both men cheated an untimely death in two examples of human brutality during WW2. The combination of not knowing when the war would end and sheer resilience managed to save them. Even after surviving the two men struggled with "post-war pains". Vladek suffered from Diabetes, Typhus relapse, and heart conditions. He also lost his beloved wife, Anja, who committed suicide due to the lingering emotional pain that the Holocaust left her. Louis struggled with alcoholism and PTSD and his goal of becoming an Olympic athlete slipped away.
Louis is quoted as saying that if he had to do it all again, he would kill himself. I believe that Vladek would do the same.
Both people survived the unthinkable pains of human brutality and physical, as well as, emotional corrosion. While many in their situation were killed, or killed themselves, Vladek and Louis are renowned for their resilience and strategy within their situations. Vladek, being a multi-skilled, tri-lingual, money-saving, Jew, managed to save food, bribe officials, escape death, and eventually live through the Holocaust. Louis used his skills as an Olympic level track star and strong willed fighter pilot to steal food, perform POW jobs, and ultimately withstand extreme levels of pain on a daily basis.
Both men cheated an untimely death in two examples of human brutality during WW2. The combination of not knowing when the war would end and sheer resilience managed to save them. Even after surviving the two men struggled with "post-war pains". Vladek suffered from Diabetes, Typhus relapse, and heart conditions. He also lost his beloved wife, Anja, who committed suicide due to the lingering emotional pain that the Holocaust left her. Louis struggled with alcoholism and PTSD and his goal of becoming an Olympic athlete slipped away.
Louis is quoted as saying that if he had to do it all again, he would kill himself. I believe that Vladek would do the same.