Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In Maus, some situations result from political fluctuations as Germany and Russia clash over territories in Poland during World War II. What do you know about the occupation and partitioning of Poland from 1939 to 1945?

Teaching Suggestion: This question can be used to help students understand the various forced movements of prisoners of war and Jewish prisoners that happen throughout the graphic novel. This is especially important in Part 1, Chapter 3 where Vladek is taken into the Protectorate territory away from his home in the Reich as a prisoner of war. It will also contribute to students’ understanding of the theme of Fortune, Fate, and Survival, as the outcome of some situations depicted in the book are largely dependent on location of the characters within the territories.

• an explanation of the invasion and fall of Poland in 1939 from the US Holocaust Museum
• a brief History Channel article about the partitioning of Poland on September 29, 1939

2. In Part 2, Spiegelman illustrates the doubts he has about using the comics form to tell his father’s story of the Holocaust.