After Artie put in the comic "Prisoner on the Hell Planet" some things in the book started to come together in my head. It showed that Artie did have some pretty serious problems in my mind. He seems to blame his parents a lot for his problems. Because of that he has a pretty poor relationship with his father. There are pretty major hints of this throughout the story and he doesnt seem to able to explain these at all except in his comics. I believe that this also had a lot to do with the reason he wrote this story. I think he really liked and respected his father but maybe didnt always feel loved by him. However, I think his father was showing him love just it was the only way he knew how.
Hoss Washington
I like what you said about Artie not really being capable of expressing his true feelings to his father. The way he expresses himself is through his comics. Maybe Artie respects his father, and what he went through, too much to try and correct him. I also like what you said about his father showing love the only way he knows how. The Holocaust changed him and he is more conservative and cautious in his ways now.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right that Artie did blame his parents for a lot of his problems, especially the fact that he ended up the psych ward at one point. So from there on out, it seems like no matter how much he respects his father and deep down knows that his father is a good guy, he just can't seem to get himself to open up to his father or admit those feelings because his father serves as a symbol of everything that is wrong with him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone has said about the relationship between Artie and his dad. My theory on the reasoning for this is that after the Holocaust, it made Artie's parents act as if they were still in the Holocaust, not getting close to anyone, never taking anything for grated. This was the way Artie was raised and I think that Vladek didn't want to get too close to Artie in fear that he will end up like his first son and die.
ReplyDeletei agree with you on what you said about how Artie's father showed his love to him in ways that he may not have realized which led to a lot of his repressed feelings. i also agree with the fact that it seems as though artie has a lot of problems.
ReplyDeleteI think we come to understand much of Vladek's stinginess or stubbornness as residual effects of his experiences as a Holocaust survivor as well. When Vladek criticizes his son, it may seem harsh or uncaring at first, yet Vladek, it seems, is trying to show Artie what matters the most. Vladek is alive because of the choices he made in inhuman and difficult situations. How do you share this with your son who knows nothing of this life and these experiences? We shouldn't simply categorize Vladek as an unfeeling or "bad" father.
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