Lecture Notes: Arty and Vladek's Story

Introduction to Arty's Story

• Arty, also known as Art, learned a lesson about friendship at a young age when he fell while roller skating and his friends left him behind.
• His father, Vladek, shared a unique perspective on true friendship, influenced by his own life experiences.

Arty's Relationship with His Father

• As an adult, Arty visits his father, Vladek, after two years.
• Vladek lives in Rigo Park and is not very kind to his second wife, Marla.
• Arty wants to create a comic about his father's life during World War II.

Vladek's Early Life and Relationships

• Vladek was very attractive in his youth, drawing comparisons to actor Rudolph Valentino.
• He had an early relationship with Lucia Greenberg but was not interested in her.
• Vladek met Anya Zilberberg, who came from a wealthy family, leading to their engagement and marriage in February 1937.

The Challenges Vladek and Anya Faced

• Anya had previous communist connections which became a risk as the Polish government was persecuting communists.
• Anya hid incriminating documents with a seamstress, Miss Stefanska, who was later arrested but did not betray Anya.

Vladek's Business and Family

• With Anya's father's help, Vladek started a successful textile factory in Bielska.
• Vladek and Anya had a son, Richieu, who unfortunately did not survive the war.

Anya's Struggles

• Anya suffered from depression post-childbirth, leading to a stay at a sanitarium in Czechoslovakia where she recovered.

Rising Anti-Semitic Tensions

• Vladek witnessed increasing anti-Semitic behavior and violence upon returning to Poland.
• Despite the challenges, family life continued.

The Outbreak of World War II

• Vladek was drafted into the Polish army as Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
• Anya and their child fled to Sosnowitz while Vladek prepared to fight.

Conclusion

• The story sets the stage for the Spiegelmans' struggle against the Nazis and the unfolding of World War II.
• The narrative ends with a sense of foreboding and the hope for the family's survival.