Test Flashcards
What did Anne Frank plan to do with her diary, and what were some of her big topics?
Anne started her diary to give herself a best friend and somewhere to put her thoughts but once in hiding she heard the Dutch government’s plea for their experiences/diaries. Some of the big topics were dealing with her sister, becoming a woman and dealing with her changing body, and being stuck in a tiny area not only with her family but with other people
Why did Frank edit Anne’s diary?
Frank edited the diary because he felt that publishing Anne’s thoughts on her own body and her harsh judgements on Germany should not be read by the public. He also likely edited her thoughts on Germany becuase he likely did not approve her thoughts since he sees himself as a German.
Why does Ozick say the diary is not a Holocaust document?
It’s not a holocaust document since it has been stated to be a “song to life” which is a mockery of what Anne Frank and the rest of the house had to endure. Furthermore, Ozick says that the diary is incomplete or rather completed by the Aushwitz concentration camp
What are the big differences between Anne Frank and her father?
One of the main differences between Anne and Otto Frank is that Anne holds a strong hatred for Germany while Otto, who sees himself as a German as he was born there and even served in the German military. Thus, he edits her book to be “kinder” towards Germans and Germany as a whole.
How did Anne’ father’s upbringing influence how he edited her diary?
Otto was raised in the “affluent middle class” thus did not have to go through his teen years trying to grapple with why a whole country hated him like Anne Frank did. Otto also grew up with a social need to please his environment and not offend it, likely making him automatically less harsh towards Germany compared to Anne.
What are some of the problems Ozick sees with identifying with Frank
Ozick’s problem with Cara Wilson is that she only identified with Anne Frank by picking out parts of Anne’s diary and only reading it on a surface level. Wilson writes about how troubled her teenage years were, making her similar to Anne Frank since they both longed for their father’s attention and fought with their sisters. While doing this, Wilson completely ignores the fact that Anne Frank was
What function does Mosche have in the narrative itself. What does he symbolize? How does he mirror that which Wiesel is doing in writing the book?
Mosche is important because he is a sort of parallel for Wiesel as they are both deeply religious people but are left to question their faith because of what the Holocaust puts them through. He symbolizes and foreshadows the suffering and trauma that the remaining of the Jews in the ghetto experience throughout the Holocaust
Why did Wiesel write Night? for who? What are some of its many functions?
Wiesel wrote this book for the world and also his younger self as a way to keep his, and other survivors and those who did not survive, memory about such a horrible event alive and to, hopefully, ensure that such an event could never happen again.
What is the importance of Hell Planet in Maus I
Hell Planet is where Vladeck’s story while in the concentration camp is depicted and shows how he is haunted by his memories of that time. Throughout this chapter, Art’s struggle with hearing this as well as his guilt for profiting from and telling his father’s story as it is is also shown
Explain the function of the masks in Maus II
The masks are used to show how people tried/ succeeded in blending with the people they were around when possible and how they navigated and adapted to difficult situations at this time. It is also used by Art to show how he feels like he is a Jew but only in name and not as connected to it as he likely should be
Briefly discuss the signifigance of the photos in both books and the pictures of photos
The photos are likely to ensure that people realize that although this is a comic book, there were and are real people that had to endure these horrible events and to also give actual faces to the people whose story is being told in this book
Talk about the role of the narrator and Jacob’s story
The narrator gives some context to what is happening in the story and more insight into Jacob’s thoughts and feelings while jacob seems to give us the actual details of what he is experiencing inside the Ghetto and dealing with being the source of hope for the people of the Ghetto.
Does Lina know the radio is not real? How do we know? What does this tell us about children?
Lina initially does not know the radio is not real but because she lives with Jacob begins to suspect that it isn’t and confront jacob about it where he lies even more by pretending to be in the radio and creating a story about a princess that has become sick and is eventually cured by getting a cloud made out of wool. Over time, the reader can suspect that Lina knows the radio is fake but is going along with it because she holds hope and optimism that the news Jacob tells will eventually become true.
What does Kowolski’s death tell us about adults?
Kowolski’s suicide after hearing that there was never a radio thus, there is no way to know how close or far they are from freedom, tells us about the desperation that many felt being stuck in a ghetto waiting for the Nazis to decide what will happen to them. It also shows that they hold no idealism compared to children who put trust in adults to take care of them and have an imagination where everything will turn out okay.
Talk about the title of Jacob the Liar, why is Jacob a liar? what does that mean?
Jacob is a liar because he lies about there being a radio in which he is getting news that the ghetto is getting closer and closer to being freed. He initially doesn’t lie and is telling the truth since he heard news from the Nazi radio but when asked where he heard this from he lies and says he has a radio of his own. He tells them that they are close to freedom since it gives the people stuck in the ghetto hope, however, Jacob eventually becomes guilt ridden because this emboldens some people leading to their deaths or causes his best friend, Kowalski’s, death.
Why is it important that Maus is in comic form? Why the cats and mice? How does Disney figure in our discussion of Maus?
Using a comic book form makes it so that readers are forced to see what was actually happening rather than just reading words which a reader could detach from. Spiegelman uses animals to depict races such that the characteristics commonly associated with those animals are assigned to those races. For example, he likely uses mice for Jews since the Nazis saw Jews as a weak race that needed to get rid of much like most people see mice. Using the mice also brings Disney into this since the mascot is a mouse and Disney has been called out for having racist remarks in some of their films
