Strolling to the bank in Rego Park, Holocaust survivor Vladek Spiegelman recounts to his son Artie the story of Richieu. He describes the experience of his first son as “a tragedy among tragedies” (Spiegelman, 109). In 1943, witnessing a Nazi raid in their ghetto, Srodula, Vladek was relieved that he and Anja had sent their son away to Zawiercie under the protection of Tosha, a relative. However, Vladek’s solace did not last long. Learning that the Germans were approaching, Tosha panicked, ultimately ending her life and those of three children, including Richieu, with poison. Later that year, the Germans evacuated the Zawiercie ghetto. Though Vladek, at this point in the book, has not yet reconciled his grief, he acknowledges that his loss was nothing unusual: countless people died and lost their sons during the Holocaust.

        In Maus I, by examining Tosha and thereby including vivid facial expressions and body language, Art Spiegelman signifies that what underlies a seemingly brutal action is resignation and innermost struggle. In Panel 5, upon hearing the news, Tosha first responds with a determined “No” (109). Painting Tosha with her hand clutched tightly to the window frame and her body standing rigidly straight up, Spiegelman highlights Tosha’s initial determination to fight against the Germans--to survive. However, by zooming into Tosha’s expression and showing her change, the following two panels illustrate her immense fear of facing inevitable death. In Panel 6, Tosha’s resolution is replaced by desperation: her shoulders are hunched and sweat pours down the side of her face. Panel 7 continues to emphasize Tosha’s inner struggles; she realizes the weakness of her power compared with that of the Nazis---she has no control over her life and those she wants to protect. More sweat droplets emerge on Tosha’s face. These details, along with the pronounced squiggly lines, showcase that she is afraid of imminent death.  

         She then ends her life and those of the children with poison, in a less painful way. Tosha’s decision reveals not any brutality in “murdering” three innocent children but that she, too, is a victim of the Holocaust. By providing Tosha’s inner thoughts, Spiegelman urges readers to understand Tosha’s obstacle. She, of course, wants to live. However, given the historical context, Tosha cannot do this. During the Holocaust, survival took courage, yet confronting death took courage, too. Tosha is not a murderess; she is a victim of the Holocaust who has lost hope.

          Questions abound here. Why does Art Spiegelman zoom into Tosha’s face? How does highlighting Tosha’s sweat and changing her physical posture help readers understand the story? A metafiction moment in Maus II offers a plausible answer to these questions. During his appointment with his therapist Pavel, Artie shares his admiration about Vladek’s survival story. However, in response, Pavel questions Artie as to whether those who died should not be respected. Pavel shares his interpretation: “Life always takes the side of life, and somehow the victims are blamed. But it wasn’t the best people who survived, nor did the best ones die. It was random” (45). Through the lens of Tosha, Spiegelman warns his readers against blaming the victims of the Holocaust without knowing their rationales. As readers, we need to understand the complexities of people’s motivations, respect their desire to survive, and, more importantly, accept their decisions to live and die in a less painful way. Again, “it was random,” and we, the readers, cannot predict if a survivor would have made the same decision under those circumstances (45). Though we could not change history and save their lives, let us not perpetuate the violence by blaming those who suffered. Let us not attribute the deaths of the Jewish people to their imperfections. Let us protect them by appreciating their stories and their decisions because they, too, were victims.