Is Vladek a hero? In what ways is he a flawed hero or leader? If so, what heroic 

traits mentioned in "The Banality of Heroism" does he possess? How did he display these traits 

during such harsh time? Why were these characteristics important when she lived? How did they 

aid her to be a catalyst for change? Also select key scenes of Empathy, Shock Value and 

Empathy that help the reader see Vladek or Art Spiegelman as as a leader or a catalyst for change

—after all his comic did break boundaries. 

Yes, vladek is an unsung hero fr being a survivor. He is a hero for his intelligence and mentality which he used to stand up against institutionalized oppression pulling both his family and he himself through the war.

Vladek has had love and he has lost. His life is an old, stubborn, opinionated man who is, for whatever reasons, willing to share the story of his time in the Holocaust. He is intolerant of his new wife, He is impatient with his son who wears a too- old coat and doesn't eat enough. He is a man who has learned to control what he can as he is a survivor.

Vladek is burdened by memories of fear, suffering, and loss that, until beginning his interviews with Artie, he has not addressed in years.

As a young man, Vladek possesses a shrewd intellect and terrific interpersonal skills, which help him navigate perilous situations throughout the war. Though age does not compromise his intelligence, Vladek becomes neurotic, stubborn, and miserly during his later years

characteristics that those around him, especially Artie, find hard to bear. Though Mala insists these traits are flaws in Vladek's character, rather than unfortunate relics of his war experience, Pavel — Artie's therapist — believes that they are expressions of the guilt and sadness Vladek feels about surviving the Holocaust. For all his shortcomings, Vladek is a loving father to Artie, whom he adores despite all their bickering, and a devoted husband to Anja, whom he misses terribly after her suicide and claims to think about constantly.