The theme of Betrayal in "Maus"

      The Graphic novel Maus by Art Spiegelman is about a Jewish survivor from Hitler's Europe, Vladek Spiegelman, and his son Art,  a cartoonist, as they discuss Vladek and his wife, Anjas survival of World War Two. In the book the theme of betrayal plays a very big role in Maus and usually brought up because of survival.

       Jews were either working with Nazis or hidden from Nazis in order to survive. In order to do this some had to betray or or be betrayed. For example when Vladek , Anja, and Anja's Family where hiding in the attic an informer found them. He was a Jew himself. They where planning on killing him but instead they took pity on him because he convinced them that he was on of them. They even gave him food when letting him go, and he still decided to give them away to the Nazis. This shows that in order to survive, and stay on the Nazis good side, had to betray Vladek and his family.

 

       Something similar happened when Vladek paid a lady to hide him and Anja in her house. Although he was generous with her and paid her well, when she got the thought that the Germans were going to inspect her house, she kicked them them both out. This was dangerous, especially because, it was sudden and at night when it was most likely for them to be caught. Showing that for the lady to survive ( and not get in trouble with Germans an most likely get shot) she had to kick Vladeck and Anja out of her house.

       Even family had to be betrayed in order to survive. A cousin of Vladeck, Jacov, also worked for Nazis. When Vladeck asked him for help to keep him from jail, he responded "There's nothing I can do!"Betraying him because if the Nazis found out, Jacov would be in danger himself. Until Vladeck offered him gold, then he decided to help. 

      Not just Vladeck and Anja, but other Jews trying to get to safety betrayed who they stood for, their religion. To go out, Vladeck and Anja wore pig masks, or pretended to be Polish. They did this mainly to survive and not get caught as they walked on the streets.

      Betrayal in Maus was a very harsh theme but mainly done for survival. People won't do a favor unless it benefits them somehow.