Maus II

The fifth panel on page 250 offers a very telling glimpse into Vladek's mentality. He is excited about getting six dollars of groceries for one dollar by returning the mostly eaten boxes of cereal he had re-glued. It is amazing for me to think of being excited about saving five dollars on groceries. I would never try to return cereal that was mostly consumed and had no true defects. The extreme conservative nature of Vladek is assumed to be the result of his experiences during WWII. His nature that helped him survive the war though, feels very out of place in a peaceful society. His son is very embaressed by this behavior, because in the current culture it is considered odd.