On page 90 of Volume 2 of Maus, Spiegelman creates an interesting argument, focusing not on the horrors of the Holocaust or its impact upon the world but instead on its impact upon the individual. Art argues that his father actually takes pride in surviving the Holocaust, and that doing so has altered him in many ways, including giving him a slight sense of entitlement. Vladek manipulates the store manager by explaining "[his] health, how Mala left [him], and how it was in the camps" (Spiegelman 90). He knows that doing so will allow him to get special deals that aren't available to the normal customer, as he is manipulating the manager's emotions to make him feel guilty. Vladek seems to think that by living through the Holocaust, he is given certain privileges unavailable to others. In addition, Art suggests that Vladek "didn't survive" the Holocaust, implying that some part of him changed irrevocably from the person he used to be (Speigelman 90). Through this page, Spiegelman describes how the Holocaust left a permanent mark upon those that were a part of it, and how despite their best efforts, it would continue to play a major part in the future and define them for the rest of their lives.
