Sunday, October 11, 2015

Prisoner of War

Chapter 3 is Titled "Prisoner of War". How is Vladek both literally and figuratively a prisoner of war? An old saying is that the true test of one's self is how they react under pressure/in challenging times. How did Vladek react? What character traits of Vladek's were prominent during this time?

Respond in 50-100 words with textual evidence in MLA format. Include word count after final word.

41 comments:

  1. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he described all of the struggles and torture he had to go through in the concentration camps of the Germans. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because after the war ended he almost acts as a symbol of what the Jews had to go through in the war. I think Vladek could not have reacted better in the challenging times of the camps because he was able to get through it and seemed to make the right moves at the right times such as when he got the job as the tin man and saved himself or fixing shoes and saved himself. I think the character trait of Vladek that stood out the most during this was probably his penny pinching because even during the war and his time in the camps he was always saving bread, food, paper, and anything he could get his hands on and would not just use it up as soon as he got it. (167)

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  2. Jesus Delgadillo
    Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was a prisoner captured by the Germans while he fought against them. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because as Jason said earlier, when you think of a Holocaust survivor, you think of a story similar to Vladek's. I think that Vladek reacts in the best way possible under pressure because instead of becoming a savage or an animal, he stays calm and makes the right choices. I think that the traits shown by Vladek in this chapter are smart, and he is a survivor. The reason is that Vladek makes friends with a Frenchman so that he can get food, he worsens his injuries so that he can stay in the infirmary, and he eats snow from the roof of the train to stay alive. (136)

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  4. Ethan McVeigh
    Block 5
    I agree with Jason on this matter. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he experienced first hand what it's like to be taken by the Germans and become a prisoner of war from his own country. He experienced the torture and exhaustion of what it's like to be a prisoner and experienced the German concentration camps by being in them. Vladek is figuratively a prisoner of war because of the figure he exemplifies. He is someone who explained what the Jews had to go through at the time of the Holocaust. He is truly a figure and almost practically a symbol for all of the Jews and the cruelty that they experienced. Vladek reacted by remaining calm throughout the whole time he was a prisoner. He knew how to stay alive throughout this whole time period. Some examples are by him just playing his cards right, and getting a job so he can get extra supplies. I think that Vladek exemplifies many character traits, but if I had to name just a few, I'd have to say that he showed extreme courage and bravery throughout the whole Holocaust. He made sure that he did what he could to survive and was never afraid to make a choice if he needed to.(212)

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  5. Jack Kagaoan
    Block 5

    As what Ethan, Jesus, and Jason have talked about, Vladek is drafted into the Polish military where he was put into combat almost immediately. After killing one of the german soldiers he is captured. He saves his own life by speaking German to the soldiers. He is literally a prisoner of war because he is put into a camp which is basically a prison for soldiers who oppose the Germans. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because after being released, he is still haunted with the memories of being in the camp. He is the prisoner of his thoughts about the harsh atmosphere, little food, and the terrible living condition. He os a prisoner who cannot escape his cell. The cell is his memories of the camp. Vladek did not panic as other Jewish captives did in the camp. Vladek used his head to get him through the camp. Vladek's stinginess and resourcefulness got him through the camp. He exchanged cigarettes for food and saved every item such as food and paper. I believe if he did not have these traits Vladek would not be alive.(187)

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  6. Gregory P.
    SAHS
    Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he can recount his experiences in the war. He knows, first hand, how it feels to have to kill someone, being taken prisoner, and the hardships to survive the camps and to not lose hope when it seems hopeless. Vladek is figuratively a prisoner of war because he has to live with the choices he had to make durring the war. When others would give up and die, he had to have the will to keep moving foward. Vladek reacted the way most people would react in his situation. When Vladek had to make hard decisions in the camps like: take the shoes of a dead person, share his food with a dying person, or resist the Germans, Vladek would always come up with the best answer. Vladek showed bravery, courage, and hope in the camps, becaues he wanted to live through it. He showed wisdom, cunning, and being smart, before he was in the camps, trying to live by the German's new rules. Vladek had to overcome many difficult obstacles to servive in the end. (184)

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  7. Vladek was literally a prisoner at war because the polish army picked him to be in the war and he was forced to join because if they didnt then thy might have killed him. He was figuratively because he has to go through killing people and people dying right in front of him. He reacted to this like a man because even though he had to go through this everyday he still had a very positive attitude towards it because he had son and wife and he did not want to die for there sake. Vladek was courageous because he went through this and actually told his story of what happened and most people wouldnt have done that because they want to keep there story to them self and not let anyone know of what they went through.Taeshon Cherry Block 5 (160)

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    1. This was my response. My name did not come up.

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  8. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was actually captured and held by the Germans in WWII. He was a prisoner figuratively because he now has those horrific memories of the war. These memories will stay with him forever, so it is as if he is a figurative prisoner forever. When Vladek is in the camp he exhibits the qualities of courage and perseverance. He shows courage by signing up for the transport despite what the others say. He shows perseverance by working until the day of his freedom comes. Joseph Patalano Block 5 (98)

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    1. I definitely agree with Joseph on the response he made. Joseph said, "He was a prisoner figuratively because he now has those horrific memories of the war." I totally agree with that. The holocaust didn't just take a toll on the bodies of the Jews, but also their minds. I can't even imagine some of the cruel acts that the Jews saw being performed on one another. Vladek saw people have their lives taken from them in an instant. Vladek pursued to the end of the war and he got out alive. Surviving the holocaust is something only someone extremely brave and determined can do. Vladek had both of those characteristics and that is why he survived. Andrew Alves Block 5 (121)

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  9. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was a prisoner of WWII. He had to live through a horrible time, and he had to fight for his country, his religion, and his life. He felt and experienced the war first hand, and he saw how it affected him, his loved ones, and the people around him. History is truly a beautiful thing at times, but unfortunately Vladek had the misfortune of experiencing one of the worst times in history. Vladek is figuratively a prisoner of war because he lived it. Once you live something, you can’t un-live it. He will always be part of the Holocaust, and WWII. Vladek also had to live with the decisions he had to make during his time on the war front. He has to live with the fact, that he killed someone, that is why so many soldiers come back from war mentally ill. War does things to people, seeing so many deaths, hearing screams of pain do things to people. I believe that Vladek reacted one of the best ways someone at that time would have reacted. For the most part, he seemed pretty calm, but that was from the outside, and we don’t always know he could be thinking at times. The qualities that Vladek showed during this time, were his “brains.” Vladek was a smart guy, and a skilled worker. He learned how to do things fast and well, and that served him well during the war. Because he had studied English, he was able to teach a person who was able to help him get a job, and be better of in the camp. He wasn't an tinman by profession, but he learned the job fast, and was able to succeed in what he was asked to do.(300)

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  10. Omar Martinez
    Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was captured by the Germans and had to live through a horrible time, which was the Holocaust. Valdek is also a figuratively a prisoner of war because like Gregory said "he has to live with the choices he had to make during the war." which is true because every choice Valdek made was a live or death situation. Valdek was very calm and very positive that they were going to be rescued and that made him get passed the war.

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  11. Chris Tanaka
    I think that Vladek shows both literally and figuratively of being a prisoner of war. Literally he is captured by hostile forces, the germans, and put in a concentration camp. In the concentration camp he is treated like an animal. He is forced to clean up the bodies of other people. Which brings me to my next point on how he acts like a prisoner figuratively. These kinds of situations scar people for life. After the war he still think and knows what happened during the war. He cannot escape the thoughts and feelings of what happened during the war. He acts like a survivalist. He will do anything to stay alive at any time. (115)

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    1. As usual, Christopher Tanaka is 100% spot on. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war when he is captured by the Germans and now a prisoner to the German army. While being a literal prisoner of war he suffers greatly both mentally and physically. He is beaten, starved and suffers from ailments. The things he saw and did while during his time in the concentration camp have truly haunted him for life. He witnessed what pure evil is, and will never be able to forget what he saw while at the concentration camps. Those images will haunt him all the way to his deathbed.

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  13. I'd have to agree with Chris Tanaka on his first point. "He shows both literally and figuratively" how he was a prisoner of war. Just like all the other millions of people, Vladek had to suffer just like everyone else. He endured camps, watched executions occur, Worked like a slave and treated like a slave. However he did whatever it took to stay alive and move on to a happy life regardless of him being mentally scarred by this traumatic experience (86) -Tysean White Block 5

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    1. ISAAC TAYLOR NOT IKEOctober 14, 2015 at 10:38 PM

      Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was captured by the germans and basically been beaten up and been torture and seen all the horrible things he saw in life. he had to fight for his country also.he is figuratively a prisoner of war because he haves that image stuck in his mine and all those bad memories he has to live with. Vladek reacted good to the challenging times because he didn't kill himself since it was to hard for him . he stuck with it and kept trying . all he wanted to do was to stay alive. (Isaac taylor not ike block 5 word 101)

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  14. I have to agree with Jason on this because "Valdek is actually a prisoner of war." He tells us of the atrocities he had seen and experienced throughout his "stay" in the Nazi concentration camps. While many others suffered in the camps, Valdek describes his personal struggles as a jewish man in the camps. Damien Demko Block 5 (60)

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  15. Dylan Bell
    Block 5
    Vladek was a literally a prisoner of war by being captured by the Nazi's during the Holocaust of WWII. The horrible events he had to witness must have been unbearable, but he was brave and very courageous to not lose focus on staying alive. Figuratively he had extreme post traumatic stress from seeing his friends killed right before his very eyes. He cannot get past these things no matter how hard he tries. Vladek is in a constant, "Fight or flight" state of mind.

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    1. I agree that he was very brave and courageous because he fought constantly to keep himself alive.

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  16. Chris Hubka

    Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was taken as a prisoner and captured by the Germans while he fought to protect himself. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because like what Jason Raines said when you think of Vladeks story that is what you think of as a holocaust survivor and him telling his horrible and gruesome story. Vladek is also a prisoner of his own thoughts. He is constantly haughted my the memories of his friend s and family dying right in front of his eyes. Also Vladek is a true survivor. He used and saved what he could to survive and did what was necessary to survive. He drank snow from the train to keep himself alive. Now if that's not a true survivor don't know what is then. Word Count (165)

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  17. Logan Fisher Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was captured by the Germans. Vladek was beaten by them and he also witnessed his friends die from such harsh conditions. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because after the war had ended he experienced struggles in his life. Even though Vladek survived, he had guilt for the people who died in front of his very eyes. (71)

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  18. Matthew Herrera
    Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war for numerous reasons. The first reason is that he was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust and the second is that he was trapped by World War II. While there was a dim chance of him escaping the camps, no matter where he ran there was war. There was no escaping the shackles of the war. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because there is no way of escaping the memories of being apart of such a gruesome point in time. When he was describing his experiences the images that he spoke of were vivid and were spoken of as if they had just happened yesterday. Vladek and the Holocaust would always be a part of each other. The way Vladek carried himself throughout his hardships is admirable. We often read of how war understandably changes people but Vladek kept his aplomb. His reaction to the war was one of composure. His most prominent characteristic was his wit. He frequently used his multiple skill sets to his advantage. For example, he used his knowledge of the English language in order to make nice with one of the Nazi officers. His wit is the primary factor that helped him survive, yet he would never be free of the horrific memories constantly swirling around in his head. (225)

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  19. Matthew Herrera
    Block 5

    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war for numerous reasons. The first reason is that he was imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust and the second is that he was trapped by World War II. While there was a dim chance of him escaping the camps, no matter where he ran there was war. There was no escaping the shackles of the war. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because there is no way of escaping the memories of being apart of such a gruesome point in time. When he was describing his experiences the images that he spoke of were vivid and were spoken of as if they had just happened yesterday. Vladek and the Holocaust would always be a part of each other. The way Vladek carried himself throughout his hardships is admirable. We often read of how war understandably changes people but Vladek kept his aplomb. His reaction to the war was one of composure. His most prominent characteristic was his wit. He frequently used his multiple skill sets to his advantage. For example, he used his knowledge of the English language in order to make nice with one of the Nazi officers. His wit is the primary factor that helped him survive, yet he would never be free of the horrific memories constantly swirling around in his head. (225)

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  20. Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was captured by the Germans and put in concentration camps. He had to do many unspeakable things and it greatly affected him. He exemplifies that he is figuratively a prisoner of war when he tells the story to his son. He is almost numb to the trauma of the Holocaust but at the same time, he cannot forget what happened there, even in the end of the story when he starts experiencing dementia. Word Count-82 Wyatt P SAHS Block 5

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  21. During the time of the Holocaust, many Jews were taken from their homes and their families and were sent to concentration camps. But, before Vladek experienced these events, he was drafted by the Polish army. The Polish army was nothing compared to the powerful German forces. It came as no surprise to me that the germans captured Vladek and the other polish soldiers. During his captivity, he spent time at a POW camp which means he literally was a prisoner of war. In a figurative sense, he would never forget the events that took place from 1939-1945. He will always be mentally, physically, and emotionally scarred by the events that took place. During the story, I noticed that Vladek wasn't as terrified as the other prisoners were. He was optimistic and fought to stay alive. Not only did he show valor, he showed optimism and bravery. Because he show these traits, he survived. (153)

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  22. Vladek lives a treacherous life as a prisoner of the Holocaust. He lives for the Nazis sake, literally repairing the gas chambers to kill off more of his kind. But, it's either this or death. He has no say on his life, making him a slave. Figuratively, Vladek is scarred for life. He has attachment issues and is afraid of losing random objects because of all he loss he experienced years before. Yet Vladek remains positive and optimistic throughout Maus. He has faith that God will take care of him until the end and treasures the random signs from him. (100)

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    1. I agree with the fact that he is scarred for life due to horrific events he went through. Having those in mind for the rest of his life was probably a huge stresser to his life after the holocaust.

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  23. Vladek is both a prisoner of war literally and figuratively. He is literally a prisoner of war because he was taken away to a camp because of who he was as a person. At those camps he was abused, and malnourished. He is figuratively a prisoner of war because, he serves as an example for what many other Jews went through during the Holocaust. Even though he made it out alive, he still has a tough time talking about what he went through during this very difficult moment of his life. (91)

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  24. Neil Alcantara SAHS Block5October 15, 2015 at 10:22 PM

    As of what Marcus said, I do agree with him. Vladek was literally and figuratively a prisoner of war. He was drafted to fight in the Polish army and was defeated by the strong Nazi army. What was interesting about Vladek was that he remained calm and collected during the battle and in the prison. An example of this would be during the battle when Vladek shot down a German he had no regrets about it, he stayed calm knowing that he killed someone. In the prison Vladek remained calm and he found ways of surviving and he never gave up. He eventually found a way to escape. Vladek is the type of person to never give up. (116)

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  25. Nick Reichert
    SAHS
    Block 5
    Vladek is literally a prisoner of war because he was robbed of his sole in the Holocaust. He lost everything he was and everything he stood for. Vladek was persecuted when the Nazis has taken all of their goods and decided to place them into concentration camps. He was figuratively persecuted by Because every decision he makes will affect his future. Every little decision such as sharing food, could end up killing him. He was a prisoner of his own self. If he made a mistake it was all on him. Vladek is probably one of the stronger Holocaust survivors that I have read about. Most people would keep food to themselves in order to continue on loving, but in these tough times Vladek showed generosity, and courage. He knew that even when someone wasn't going to make it, he would try his best to make that person feel loved before they died. Although the person that is dying may not have felt love in a concentration camp, they would still know that someone was watching out for them. It take a lot of compassion to do this to be able to give up you "life line" such as food, because if they didn't have food, they were dead. (209)

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  26. Vladek was literally a prisoner of war, even before he entered it. His father tried to keep him malnourished to keep him out of the war. He had to suffer before he was a part of it. In the end, it didn't work and he was still sent out to fight. He then became more of a prisoner of war because he was sent out to practically risk his life. On top of this, he was later imprisoned in camps where he was most definitely treated poorly. His reaction was to do what he was told and to try and have hope. He did anything in his power to stay alive. He showed a lot of strength and he was most definitely a fighter, having these two traits helped him to survive.

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  27. In the prisoner camp he seemed more calm and happier than other prisoners, he took very good care of himself by bathing, doing gymnastics, and prayed. Even though he got not much food and less shelter in the camp. Figuratively he had to live with when he killed people and had to move bodies.

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  28. Vladek was literally and figuratively a prisoner in war during the Holocaust. He was literally because he was put in a concentration camp with the rest of "his kind." He was treated poorly, abused and malnourished. He was given a job to fix the gas chambers so the Germans were able to kill more Jews. If he didn't listen, he would be killed. He was figuratively because being a survivor, he had to struggle with living on with thoughts he wished he didn't have to think of. (87)

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  29. Vladek was literally a prisoner of war, even before he entered it. His father tried to keep him malnourished to keep him out of the war. He had to suffer before he was a part of it. In the end, it didn't work and he was still sent out to fight. He then became more of a prisoner of war because he was sent out to practically risk his life.

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  30. Vladek was considered a P.O.W (Prisoner of war) and he lost himself during the holocaust. He was put into a camp with the rest of the Jews and the discriminates scolded by the Nazi's and SS. The conditions in which he was treated were cruel and inhumane. He never got the right amount of vitamins and minerals, which led to his malnourishment. He obtained a job to fix the chambers so the Germans could kill more groups at an efficient rate. He had to obey the orders or he would be murdered. He was, in my opinion, a real survivor because he had to deal with all the extra bad thoughts going through his mind. He struggled a lot during these times but stayed strong.

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  31. Vladek literally became a prisoner of war when the nazi soldiers came to the side that vladek was on. "They marched me to where it was more like me. War prisoners"(49) Vladek was marched to a POW camp and remained there for several weeks. He was figuratively a prison of war, because he didn't want to be apart of the war but he was forced into it and was trapped. He did his best to follow the rules that were in place for all of the jews in the POW camp. This situation showed that Vladek was a survivor and would do anything he had to in order to survive. (110)

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  32. Vladek was literally a prisoner of war because he was held against his will by the Germans in brutal camps of death. He was forced to work beyond his physical limits and was punished severely if he questioned anything the Germans said. He and his fellow colleagues were given very little to eat and were stripped of their humanity. He was also figuratively a prisoner of war because the memories of what he went through will forever be apart of him. He cannot forget the tragedies that he went through and it pains him to even think about them. He was brainwashed and was unable to every let the memories go, therefore being trapped by his own thoughts.

    Most people act terribly when put under pressure because it was so unexpected they totally blank out and act without thought. Vladek, however, was the quintessence of how to act under pressure. He had a thought process behind everything and knew what was yet to come. His wit was what I think saved his life.

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  33. Domenico Cianflone
    SAHS
    Block 5
    Vladek was literally a prisoner of war because he had to go through all the camps and suffer through the torture of them. He was a prisoner because he was forced to join the Polish army and he had to kill people and watch as people around him died. He is figuratively a prisoner because he will always remember what he had to undergo during this time and he won't be able to erase them. i think he handled the situation extremely well because he used the character traits of rational and smart because he saved and gathered food in every opportunity possible. I think that these traits were what kept him alive because if it wasn't for his knowledge of what to do he wouldn't have made it through the camps. (137)

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  34. Jacob Suarez
    Block:4
    Vladek was a prisoner of war literally because of all the fights he was forced to participate in, all the concentration camps he had to go through, and because of how long he had to stay hidden from the nazis. He was a prisoner of war figuratively because all of what he has been through, it stuck with him and changed him. He became an anxiety freak and became to attached to his son.(74)

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