1: How does fear influence the characters actions? For example when all the Jews were called to go to the stadium in chapter 4 and they all went out of fear for what would happen if they didn’t go.

Fear plays the most essential role during the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a systematic way to eliminate the Jews; but for this to be possible, there must be fear in Jews. Adolf Hitler understood this and used it wisely to carry out his plan.  Maus clearly demonstrates how the characters’ actions were driven by fear. For instance, when a friend of Anja’s father is executed for being involved in the black market business, he is left to hang for days. The Nazis left him hanging because they knew this would create fear in other Jews who are also doing business illegally. Furthermore, when all the Jews were called to meet at the stadium, they all went out of fear. They all knew that if they did not listen to the orders, they would face severe punishments – possibly death. There was another incident when Vladek sees German Soldiers beating Jews on the street. These soldiers knew that punishing Jews in public would serve as a warning for rest of the Jews. If there were no fear in Jews, then most of them would not obey the orders. Thus, creating fear was necessary to carry out such a horrific plan – the Holocaust.