Why does Art Spiegelman utilize masks and make the Jewish people mice in Maus I?

A reference to the dehumanization of the Jews, often depicted as vermin in Nazi Germany

To illustrate how Artie feels about his father

To represent the feeling that life is so much bigger than us and we are essentially mice in the scheme of things

To make the novel more friendly to children

Why depict the Nazis as cats in Maus I?

The cat/mouse dynamic parallels with the plot and tension in the graphic novel.

Nazis often used cats to depict themselves in that time period.

Most people think cats are evil, so Art Spiegelman thought it fit.

Art didn't really have a reason. He just chose difference animals.

Use your book! On page 125, examine panel 5 closely, why would Spiegelman include a road that is shaped to resemble a swastika?

To use show the hopelessness of their situation through visual symbolism

To show the directions they could take when they are walking and further the plot

To examine the relationship between Vladek and Anja when they are at their lowest point

To explain why Anja and Vladek end up in Sosnowiec through vivid imagery

Use your book! On page 155, there is an image of a cat (Nazi) holding a pig mask. What is Spiegelman's intention in showing this image of the cat with the pig mask?

The mask is a metaphor for the way that Jews tried masking their identities during the Holocaust to hide from the Nazis.

The mice are Jewish people literally wearing masks to escape the Nazis.

The Jews are discovered by the Nazi SS, who were undercover and posing as others to find the Jews.

The masks symbolize that gestapo are moving the Jews through the city of Bielsko.

How does Artie feel towards his father at the end of the story?

Artie is enraged over the fact that Vladek burned Anja’s journals and that he didn’t even read or remember them

Artie is grateful that Vladek was willing to open up and tell him of his life

Artie is unsatisfied with what little information Vladek has told him and says that he will have to finish the book another day

Artie is happy with the information Vladek has given him and doesn’t feel as though he needs his mother's’ journals

Use your book! What does the prologue (pg. 4-5) where Art complains about his friends leaving him show about Art and Vladek's relationship?

Vladek has a tendency to make other people's stories and situations about himself.

Vladek is kind and caring when he gives advice to his son.

Artie is afraid to open up to his father.

Artie doesn't trust his father enough to ask him for advice.

How is young Vladek different from older Vladek?

Young Vladek seems cheerful and makes the best of things, but older Vladek is always complaining.

Young Vladek constantly lies, but older Vladek values the truth.

Young Vladek is cheap but older Vladek is generous.

Young Vladek is foolish and always gets into trouble, but older Vladek is very wise and can solve any problem.

Why does Vladek hoard stuff?

He thinks it might be useful sometimes.

He just forgets to throw it away.

He doesn't want to, but Mala makes him keep it.

What is the main thing Vladek and Mala fight about?

Vladek is cheap with his money.

Vladek is still in love with Anja and won't stop talking about her.

Mala spends thousands of dollars without telling him.

Mala doesn't want to listen to his stories anymore.

Which of the following themes do the actions of Vladek in the father/son scenes best illustrate?

The past shapes who people become.

Conflict strengthens the bonds of family.

Misunderstandings between cultures/communities often lead to prejudice.

Identity loss can lead to alienation.

What theme from the book does the comic Art includes about his mother's suicide most support?

Survivors often feel complex emotions of guilt and blame.

Tragedy brings people together in the end.

It is difficult for children to grow up without their mothers.

Going through an identity crisis is a part of growing up.

How does the book illustrate Anja's mental illness?

Vladek discusses her going to the sanitarium after Richieu is born and having pills for her moods.

She falls apart at every challenge during the Holocaust.

We show scenes of Artie growing up that illustrate her mental illness growing worse.

Artie tells us directly about the difficulties of growing up with a mentally ill parent.

A neighborhood that closed off Jews from other citizens of an area.

A facility where Jews are housed to be gassed and killed.

The march that came later in the war where many Jews were shot or fell dead in the snow.

A star that Jews had to wear on their arm to be easily identified.

What is a death camp?

A facility where Jews are housed to be gassed and killed.

The march that came later in the war where many Jews were shot or fell dead in the snow.

A neighborhood that closed off Jews from other citizens of an area.

A star that Jews had to wear on their arm to be easily identified.

What is the Jewish badge?

A star that Jews had to wear on their arm to be easily identified.

A facility where Jews are housed to be gassed and killed.

The march that came later in the war where many Jews were shot or fell dead in the snow.

A neighborhood that closed off Jews from other citizens of an area.

A race riot where people are violently attacked for being minorities

How can you identify the tension between the characters?

The increased size of the text in the speech bubbles represents tension.

The darker ink color in the speech bubbles represents tension.

The larger border in the speech bubbles represents tension.

Where are Vladek and Anya taken after the Gestapo catches them on the train?

They were taken to a concentration camp.

Actually, the Gestapo never caught them.

How does Vladek manage to get extra food?

He makes a deal with the Fuhrer.

What was the personal motive for the author to write Maus ?

His desire to tell his parent's story.

His desire to expose the horrors of the concentration camps.

His desire to get others motivated about history.

What was the political motive for the Author to write Maus?

A desire to expose the horrors of Nazi persecution.

A desire to tell his parent's story.

A desire to explore a new form, graphic novels, for a serious purpose.

A desire to run for office in Germany.

At the end of Chapter 6, why does Artie call Vladek a "murderer"?

Vladek killed someone Artie knew

On page 149, Vladek passes some children playing, and they all recognize that he is a Jew and run away in terror. This is an example of...

the influence of German propaganda

Why does Vladek consider going to Hungary with Anja? (pg. 145-146)

It is safer there for Jewish people.

They have better food there than in Poland.

Vladek wants to go back to his home country.

How does Vladek get out of trouble when the children scream and point at him "A JEW!"?

He stays and pretends he's not a Jew

He confesses but the let him go anyway.

Maus I

Quiz

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English

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10th Grade - University

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Practice Problem

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Medium

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CCSS

RL.1.10, RL.K.6, RL.8.6

+32

Standards-aligned

Emily Rossi

Used 179+ times

FREE Resource

About this resource

This quiz comprehensively examines Art Spiegelman's groundbreaking graphic novel "Maus I," focusing on literary analysis, visual symbolism, and Holocaust history. Appropriate for 10th-grade English students, the assessment requires deep analytical thinking about complex themes including intergenerational trauma, survival, and the lasting effects of genocide. Students must demonstrate sophisticated reading comprehension skills by analyzing Spiegelman's artistic choices, such as his use of animal metaphors to represent different ethnic groups and his incorporation of visual symbolism like swastika-shaped roads. The questions demand critical thinking about character development, thematic elements, and the author's dual narrative structure that weaves together past and present. Students need foundational knowledge of Holocaust history, including understanding of ghettos, concentration camps, and Nazi persecution, while also analyzing the psychological dynamics between Art and his father Vladek in the contemporary timeline. Created by Emily Rossi, an English teacher in the US who teaches grade 10 and University level students. This comprehensive assessment serves multiple instructional purposes, from formative evaluation of reading comprehension to summative assessment of literary analysis skills. Teachers can utilize this quiz as a unit review after completing the novel, as homework to reinforce key concepts, or as a discussion starter for deeper classroom exploration of the text's themes and historical context. The varied question types allow for differentiated assessment, with some focusing on basic comprehension while others require higher-order thinking about symbolism and authorial intent. This quiz aligns with Common Core standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.2, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.3, as it requires students to cite textual evidence, analyze themes, and examine character development throughout the narrative.

Maus I

28 questions

Why does Art Spiegelman utilize masks and make the Jewish people mice in Maus I?

Why depict the Nazis as cats in Maus I?

Use your book!
On page 125, examine panel 5 closely, why would Spiegelman include a road that is shaped to resemble a swastika?

Use your book! On page 155, there is an image of a cat (Nazi) holding a pig mask. What is Spiegelman's intention in showing this image of the cat with the pig mask?

How does Artie feel towards his father at the end of the story?

Use your book!
What does the prologue (pg. 4-5) where Art complains about his friends leaving him show about Art and Vladek's relationship?

How is young Vladek different from older Vladek?

Why does Vladek hoard stuff?

What is the main thing Vladek and Mala fight about?

Which of the following themes do the actions of Vladek in the father/son scenes best illustrate?

Access all questions and much more by creating a free account

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Maus I

28 questions

Why does Art Spiegelman utilize masks and make the Jewish people mice in Maus I?

Why depict the Nazis as cats in Maus I?

Use your book!On page 125, examine panel 5 closely, why would Spiegelman include a road that is shaped to resemble a swastika?

Use your book! On page 155, there is an image of a cat (Nazi) holding a pig mask. What is Spiegelman's intention in showing this image of the cat with the pig mask?

How does Artie feel towards his father at the end of the story?

Use your book! What does the prologue (pg. 4-5) where Art complains about his friends leaving him show about Art and Vladek's relationship?

How is young Vladek different from older Vladek?

Why does Vladek hoard stuff?

What is the main thing Vladek and Mala fight about?

Which of the following themes do the actions of Vladek in the father/son scenes best illustrate?

Access all questions and much more by creating a free account

Popular Resources on Wayground

Discover more resources for English

Use your book!
On page 125, examine panel 5 closely, why would Spiegelman include a road that is shaped to resemble a swastika?

Use your book!
What does the prologue (pg. 4-5) where Art complains about his friends leaving him show about Art and Vladek's relationship?