Hope

Hope. A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.

 Hope is represented through a divine intervention in Vladek’s dream in the story, Maus. Vladek’s dream is a conversation with his grandfather, who tells him that he will be free on the day of Parshas Truma. Parshas Truma is one Saturday of one week in the entire year, which for Vladek was due in 3 months. Through these three months, Parshas Truma served as hope and the reason for survival for Vladek. This is the day that Vladek dreams to be with his family and “be treated like a human being”(54). Three months later, Parshas Truma arrives and the prisoners line up in the courtyard. Vladek signs a release form, and his dream Is fulfilled. This symbolizes the will to survive and hope that freedom is in grasp.

The whole drive of Vladek’s story was the idea of survival. For Vladek, his hope that he will come out the holocaust alive serves as a driving force through his horrible experiences. Good or bad, he needed to keep his family and himself safe. Every time, he remembered the idea that god was with him and his fellow comrades, the hope reignited. “Every day I bathed and did gymnastics to keep strong… and every day we prayed” (54).  The idea that praying was equal and regular to him as bathing portrays his faith. In addition, the quote mentions the strength he got from gymnastics. That very strength and faith pushed him to the finish line.