Simile and metaphor Essays

Simile and metaphor Essays Simile and metaphor Paper Simile and metaphor Paper The speakers anger is a central to the whole poem. In stanza two Afrika achieves a shocking intensity by his line arrangement and repetition. The repetition of and(12-15) gives the impression of deep familiarity with the bureaucratic sounding District Six (9) and we can understand the sentiment amiable weeds(8) more clearly. The listing effect establishes a rhythm and a pattern, which the reader anticipates. This means that when and(15) turns into anger(16) it comes as a shock. The stanza also concentrates on the sensitive parts of his body, skinlungseyes(13-16) all, which are subject and vulnerable to hurt. Anger is also associated closely with heat and fire. It is the hotanger of his eyes(15-16); the sign of the restaurant is flaring(18) and his hands burn(45). The image of glass(17, 30, 41, 47) is very important in the poem (the word appears four times) as well as a reference to clear panes(28). It is glass which shuts out the speaker in the poem. It is a symbol of the inequality between whites and blacks, rich and poor. The glass symbolises the exclusion of the blacks from the whites world. But in the glass as well as looking in on outside, one can also see a reflection of oneself. The glass acting as a mirror means that it brings about a double traumatic experience . The speaker sees the standard of living that he has, the stains of bunny chow on his jeans, but he also sees the higher standard of living being enjoyed by his (now) equal countrymen. It is this injustice, which causes the speaker to yearn, for a stone, a bomb, to shiver down the glass(46-47). It is not the actual glass that he wants to smash; it is the racist mentality of those in power that he wants to shatter. The poems title and last line suggests, Nothings changed(48). The speakers familiarity with this environment has not changed. Although there is no sign there, the poet can feel that he is in District Six, my feet know/and my hands.(11-12) The gap in the standard of living has not shortened between the black and white people. There is still that element of exclusivity, no sign says it(25) as the apartheid is over, but there is a guard at the gatepost(23). The poet still feels the anger and violent rage towards those that exclude him. The title in this sense is ironic, physically everything has changed, the Port Jackson trees(21) threaten to take over and there is new restaurant whose patrons are exclusively white. However deep down the important matters and worthwhile changes have not taken place. This leads to a sense of disappointment because an expected change has not happened. District Six has changed, but the speakers feelings have not because the new South Africa operates apartheid based on wealth. The poet reflects that despite the changing political situation, there are still huge inequalities between blacks and whites. The poem is a protest about the injustices of a system that allowed apartheid in the first place, but now does so little to improve the lives of the non-whites. Those in powerful and influential positions resist progress and deny justice to the common people. The title, Inglan is a Bitch is repeated as a refrain throughout the poem. The word bitch has many connotations, all of which are negative, so straight from the beginning the reader can intelligently guess that the poem criticises England. Black immigrants were brought to England to help alleviate the labour force after the Second World War; it was labelled as a country of many opportunities, a promise that turned out to be false. Literally a bitch is a female dog and they are noted for their hardworking nature. This could signify that in order to survive in England you have to be diligent also. In Linton Kwesi Johnsons, Inglan is a Bitch the narrator is black immigrant worker, who describes his work history in England. He has worked in the andahgroun(2); has had a lickle jab in a big otell(11) and in a crockery factory. All his jobs have been hard labour and menial work even at the age of fifty-five(42). He tells the reader that he was doing well while he was working as a dish-washa(11). This type of employment is quite unskilled and a job that most white Britons would consider beneath them. The poem dispels the myth that England has good economic prospects for everyone. Not only are the immigrants working very hard for a lickle wage packit(17), they are forced to pay high taxes also. (Employment) In the 1950s and 1960s people from the Caribbean migrated to Britain in relatively large numbers. Most of these settled in cities, especially in the large English cities, and in most of these communities people from Jamaica were more numerous than people from other parts of the Caribbean. Although the Caribbean is made up of many different islands and mainland territories, including many where an English Creole is not spoken, British Black English is most similar to Jamaican Creole, because of the larger number of Jamaicans who settled in this country. (Sebba, Creole English and Black English) The most striking element of this poem I felt was the sound of the poem. Written in a Street Creole variety of dialect it forces the reader to read the poem with a different tongue; London is written as Landan(1). However this may also cause a problem with communication. It is hard in some sections to decipher what the poet is actually trying to say. A language barrier is formed. The tone of the poem is conversational, but it also has a musical, song-like quality. The rhyme scheme, rhythm and the beat all contribute to this Caribbean musical quality. There is also a refrain or in the context of a song, a chorus. The aural nature of the poem functions as a mirror for cultural identity. The style and speech represents Jamaica, but the context is in England. The refrains in the poem are very interesting, deres no escapin it(5) is repeated in every other stanza along with Inglan is a Bitch. The speaker wants to escape, but cannot. The tone is resigned and there is not much hope. Because he has lived in England, he cannot even go back. This could be due to a fused identity and now he does not fit in either culture. noh baddah try fi hide fram it(16) The poet feels oppressed and has accepted defeat. The discrimination is ever-present. This next line is important, a noh lie mi a tell, a true(24) the speaker explains to the reader that he is not moaning or exaggerating, but is giving a accurate representation of his problems. yu haffi know how fi suvvive in it(32) The verb used is survive, a harsher substitute for live. The speaker explains that life is not easy and the basics are hard to come by. yu bettah face up to it(40) echoing line 16 the speaker tells us and tells himself to just accept the hardship. There is no point in denying or trying to change something more powerful. He has no options, as no one will even listen to his problems. This is why he is writing the poem, hoping this medium will reach out to those who can help him and understand his despair. is whey wi a goh dhu bout it?(56) The last line seems to invert the vibe given out in the lines above. There is a positive emphasis as the speaker asserts this question to his audience, who may be influential black people or sympathetic white people. The wi (we) is also only seen in the last line. It signifies collectiveness and unity for a particular purpose. On his own he is nothing, but through his poetry he may find people in similar predicaments and together they can bring about a change. Ending the poem with a question means that the poet is leaving the reader to make up his mind on the situation. The poem as well as reflecting the cultural identity of the black immigrants in England, also creates a mirror for national identity. It depicts to those in power what the condition of the Afro-Caribbean contingent is. It is sweet and glorious to die for your country. This is the full translation of the phrase Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. Which comes from Dulce Et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen. The title of the poem is ironic. The poem does not so much induce pity as it does shock, especially for the civilians at home who believed war was noble and glorious. Owens war poems are for civilians to make audible to them the authentic experiences of the arm. (Kerr, p.219) The soldiers are trudging back from the battle, a daunting depiction expressed through simile and metaphor. The mens wretched condition is compared to old beggars(1), hags(2). The young men have grown unnaturally old and decrepit (Kerr, p.276). They cannot walk straight as their blood-shod(6) try to negotiate the mud. The words that Owen uses have different meanings beyond the real meaning and exploit ambiguity, for example, distant rest(4), what kind of rest? In line 8 the rhythm slackens as a particularly dramatic moment approaches.

DNA Fingerprinting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

DNA Fingerprinting - Essay Example These four bases pair with each other in a unique manner i.e. Adenine-Thymine and Guanine-Cytosine to form the unique DNA structure of every living thing. These bases are also attached to a sugar backbone that twists and turn in a double helix manner and give the molecule of its shape (Crocket 2001). Implications DNA fingerprinting, as the name implies is a technique used for the purpose of identification in many fields of science. Since fingerprints of not two individuals have been found to be similar, it has been proved that just like fingerprints, DNA sequence of every individual is also different and identity of a person in many cases can be found out by using this technique. Although many moral and ethical issues have been raised on the use of this technique but it has been found to be very helpful in the identifying individuals in many cases where it was almost impossible to attain hundred percent identity mainly because only remains of individuals were found or in mass disaste rs where the bodies were totally destroyed that obtaining fingerprints was almost impossible. For example in a mass disaster, the DNA samples of the relatives i.e. parents, siblings or offspring of the victims are taken and then the DNA sequence is matched with that of the victims and identities are generated on the basis of matching of base pairs. Also DNA fingerprints have been used in solving the cases of disputed paternity, identifying a rapist in cases of sexual assault and identifying the species in cases of fragmentary remains. Types and Techniques: The three main types of DNA Fingerprinting are: RFLP (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) VNTR (Variable Number Tandem Repeats) STR ( Short Tandem Repeats) RFLPs are the oldest type of DNA fingerprints. For this process, a sample from any part of the body is collected since all the nucleated cells of the body contain DNA. After the sample is collected, DNA is extracted from the sample by using restriction enzymes(Crocket 200 1). Restriction enzymes are highly specific enzymes for specific sequences of DNA and they act on and cleave only the sequences they are programmed for. After the DNA samples are properly extracted, specific band patterns are generated in agarose gel by using the process of Electrophoresis. This is a process in which electric current is applied to each side of the sheet containing the extracted DNA on a sheet and movement of particles is observed which creates a band pattern (Burke 1991).  Ã‚  

Fallingwater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fallingwater - Essay Example In order to prove this thesis I visited Fallingwater and now I want to share my experience and substantiate my point of view. Fallingwater, also known as the Edgar Kaufmann house, is a building on the Bear Run at the address P.O. Box R, Mill Run, Pennsylvania 15464, in southwestern Pennsylvania in the Appalachians. Edgar Kaufmann Sr. was a successful Pittsburgh businessman and an owner of some property in the countryside with a waterfall and some cabins. When the small houses at their camp had been destroyed to the point that something had to be rebuilt, Edgar Jr. persuaded his father to hire the architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Fallingwater is famous; from all over the world lots of visitors come each year to its faraway site. Fallingwater has taken pleasure to many people over the years; as an energizing weekend retreat for the Kaufmann himself and his relatives, as a source of pride to Wright and his assistants, and now--cared for by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy--as an remarkable experience for visitors from near and far.... When Wright came to the site he enjoyed the powerful sound of the falls, the vital verdure of the young forest, the dramatic rock ledges and boulders; these were elements to be reconstituted with the tenderly soaring spaces of his structure. But Wright's insight cameto the depths. He realized that people were creatures of nature, thus an architecture which suited nature would conform to what was basic in people. Forinstance, though all of Fallingwater is opened by wide bands of windows, people inside are 'safe' as in a deep cave, secure in the sense of hill behind them.The attention is paid to the outside by constructing low ceilings; no luxury in the hall but, instead, the light textures of the woodland, enframed in a great harmony. The colour of the building reminds the colorings of trees and rocks.'Occasional accents are provided by bright furnishings, like wildflowers or birds outside. The paths within the house, stairs and passages, meander without formality or urgency, and the house hardly has a main entrance; there are many ways in and out'(Fallingwater,2004 The official site of Fallingwater). Communication and privacy are both possible, as are the properties of home and the adventures of the seasons. So the trip was refreshing and I felt relaxed and calm. The active watercourse, immediate surroundings and cantilevered design of the house are considered to be in harmony, in line with Wright's interest in making buildings that were more "natural" and which therefore seemed to be more connected with their surroundings. It is important and significant as it has a large historical and aesthetic value and is an example of Modernist trends in architecture. The house represents the culture of American Modernism, and it was very interesting to dive into the epoch of the first half of 20th century. The building is connected with nature, which surrounds it and its significance is determined by symbolic meaning of eternal connection between human and nature. People who lived there or spent there weekends felt really refreshed, and as, for me, I really felt that spirit of

Sustainable Hospitality Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Sustainable Hospitality Management - Essay Example Under such circumstances, the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be conducted at New Delhi, just few less than 1000 days away from inaugural, considered to be pride of India, the development has started at the banks of Yamuna River, will be the biggest and most expensive sports event to ever be held in India. But is it necessary that for merely conducting 15 days of play, the livelihood of thousands of villagers living around should be disturbed and turn them into immigrants and incur them huge losses, financially, socially and psychologically. New Delhi promises to present a next biggest stadium in the world, which will host the games and accommodation for participating players in the mega event for 15 days, but at the cost of poor indigenous peoples. As per the Brundtland Commission, "sustainability is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs".1 Sustainable development is an assorted concept, as a wide array of views fall under its umbrella. The concept has included notions of weak sustainability, strong sustainability and deep ecology. Different conceptions also reveal a strong tension between ecocentrism and anthropocentrism. One of the first and most oft-cited definitions of sustainability, and almost certainly the one that will survive for posterity, is the one created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The Commission defined sustainable development as development that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."2The Brundtland definition thus implicitly argues for the rights of future generations to raw materials and vital ecosystem services to be taken into account in decision making. People talked about living conditions, resources, population pressures, international trade, education, and health. Environmental issues were related to all of these, but there was no hard and fast division separating environmental issues, social and economic issues. All the problems were intertwined. There were links among the environment, the economy and society that caused problems in one of these areas to affect the other areas. Sustainable development does not focus solely on environmental issues. More broadly, sustainable development policies encompass three general policy areas: economic sustainability, environmental sustainability and social sustainability as mentioned in the diagram below at figure 1. In support of this, several United Nations texts, most recently the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document, refer to the "interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars" of sustainable development as economic development, social development, and environmental protection. Figure 1: Scheme of sustainable development: at the confluence of three constituent parts The Indian capital New Delhi gets ready to host the mega single event of Commonwealth Games in 2010 for the first time. The Government of New Delhi has implemented a strategy to construct a 'New Delhi Games Village" just for hosting 2010 Commonwealth Games. It is definitely a pride issue for all the Indians,

Arthur Conan Doyle Essay Example for Free

Arthur Conan Doyle Essay A critical account of The Speckled Band and The Engineers Thumb by Arthur Conan Doyle  In the story of The Speckled Band a woman called Helen Stoner arrives at Holmes rooms in a state of terror. She is the stepdaughter of Dr Grimesby Roylott, a violent man who spent five years in India and associates only with gipsies, and has such exotic pets as a baboon and a cheetah. Helens mother is now dead, and two years previously her sister died in mysterious circumstances: a strange whistling disturbed her in her sleep for some nights, and on the night of her death she appeared transfixed, able only to shriek, the speckled band! she had been about to marry and now Helen is planning to do the same; her stepfather has moved her to her sisters bedroom next to his and the whistling has recurred. Despite a warning from the maniacal Dr Roylott, Holmes and Watson head for Stoke Moran, examine the house and wait the night in Helens bedroom. Holmes deduction proves correct: Dr Roylott sends a swamp adder (the speckled band) through a ventilator to kill Helen, Holmes cane drives it back and the murderer is poisoned. The main characters in the story consist of: Helen stoner who is the main client. She arrives at Sherlock Holmes rooms in Baker Street to ask him for help. The character of Helen Stoner sets the tone of the story: shivering with fear, her face all drawn and grey, with restless frightened eyes, like those of some hunted animal. She is obviously a sensible and levelheaded woman: therefore there must be a reason for her terror. The character of Sherlock Holmes in the story appears to be that of an appealing eccentric. In this story he uses his powers of deduction to identify minute details with which to solve the final mystery, for instance he knew you must have started early, and yet you had a good drive in a dog cart, along heavy roads before you reached the station. Through the story he displays elements of humour, after doctor Roylott threatened with a poker he replies, he seems a very amiable person. Subtly alluring to his own physical power by, he picked up the steel poker and with a sudden effort straightened it out again. Whilst examining the premises of Stoke Moran, he threw himself down upon his face with his lens in his hand, and crawled swiftly backwards and forwards, examining minutely the crack between the boards. This illustrates Holmes minute attention to detail. Dr Watson is the ideal narrator of this story. His ability to perceive and describe details is as important as his inability to deduce from them what Holmes can. He says, Holmes, I seem to see dimly what you are hitting at, after Holmes had described the position of the ventilator and the rope. The relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson is one of an intimate friend and associate. In contrast to Holmes, Dr Watson makes the sensible deductions and assumption of the of the ordinary intelligent man. He is portrayed as an amiable man as well as the devoted recorder of Holmes achievements. A vivid description is built up of Dr Roylott by the description of Helen stoner. We know that he came from an aristocratic background. However successive heirs had squandered the money. After taking a medical degree he went to India, where he spent some time in prison from murdering a native servant. She describes his violence of temper approaching to mania.  We are also told that he likes to associate with gypsies and also keeps exotic animals, for example, a cheetah and a baboon. In another passage Dr Roylott enters Holmes room and is described as a huge man with a face marked with every evil passion. He is said to resemble a fierce old bird of pray. We are led also to believe that Dr Roylott is violent towards his Stepdaughter when Homes sees burses on her wrists. The story is set during the Victorian era with the backdrop of the decaying grandeur of Stoke Moran this help this links closely to the character of Dr Roylott as a fallen aristocrat and also helps to create a mysterious atmosphere. The building was of grey, lichen-blotched stone with a high central portion, and two curving wings, like the claws of a crab, thrown out on each side. In one of these wings the windows were broken, and blocked with wooden boards, while the roof was partly caved in, a picture of ruin.

I’m Not Chinese Anymore and I’m Never Going to be an American Essay

I’m Not Chinese Anymore and I’m Never Going to be an American I could open this piece with a clear statement, a thesis or controlling idea of some sort—a brief preview for you, my reader, of what is to come and what is to be told. However, I won't. Instead, please close your eyes for a minute—just for a minute—and imagine yourself sitting before a young East Asian girl. You know she's East Asian because of her black hair, off-white skin, a pair of ebony eyes and a nose that is just a bit too flat to be mistaken for an Indian. Sitting in an armchair with her left arm supporting her cheek, she stares at you for a little while then starts to speak—slowly, thoughtfully, almost tonelessly: "I was born in China and came to United States about four years ago, when I was thirteen. I had no idea what the world was then, even though I thought I did. And this very moment, four years later, I still have no idea what the world is. I've seen more parts of it, true. But the puzzle pieces refuse to come together somehow. People often ask me if I'm a Chinese living in America or an American born in China. An unanswerable question, yet how can you hope to understand life without knowing who you are? I am not Chinese anymore; there is no purpose in denying it. But I am not—and I don't want to be—an American. Not completely†¦not like this." Now open your eyes, silently think for a few moments about what she said, and return to my words—or rather, echoes of someone else'. "†¦Being Mexican-American is tough. The Anglos jump all over you if you don't speak English perfectly. Mexicans jump all over you if you don't speak Spanish perfectly. We gotta be twice as perfect as everyone else," so said a character from the 1997 hit movie "Selena."... ...n prom queen: A bookish girl, I've always been awkward in crowds, and people's first impression of me usually is that of a nervous, withdrawn little creature. An unfortunate gift from the past, you may call it, shaped by years of stern guidance and harsh social opinions. But all those years are gone, no matter how happy or gloomy they may be. I don't seek to relive the past, I simply need to make peace with it and somehow move on, as myself, under the sunlight of Manhattan and the shadows created by its glorious skyscrapers. Works Cited Cofer, Judith Ortiz. "Silent Dancing." Encounters: Essays for Exploration and Inquiry. Pat C. Hoy II and Robert DiYanni. New York: McGraw-Hill. Golden, Arthur. Memoirs of a Geisha. New York: Random House. 1999. Selena. Dir. Gregory Nava. Pref. Jennifer Lopez. Becky Lee Meza. Edward James Olmos. Warren Brothers. 1997.

Character Analysis for Maus by Art Speigleman

Character List- round or flat Art Spiegelman- r * Art Spiegelman is the author and narrator of Maus, and also one of the story's main characters. * Born in Stockholm after the Holocaust, he is the only surviving child of Vladek and Anja Spiegelman. * He is married to Francoise, a French woman who converted to Judaism upon their engagement. * Maus centers around two primary narratives: Vladek's experiences as a Jew in World War II Poland, and Art's relationship with his aging father. * When the story opens, Art lives in New York and does not see his father very often, though he lives only a short distance away in Queens. But as Art begins to draw this story about Vladek's Holocaust experiences, he begins to visit his father more and more frequently. * Their relationship is strained, as Vladek's gruff demeanor and unwillingness to spend money routinely infuriate his son. * Art is filled with complex feelings towards his father ranging from admiration for his survival in Auschwitz, to f rustration towards his aggravating tendencies, and guilt for his own neglect of a father who has lived through so many difficult times. * Art also has complex emotions towards the Holocaust.Though he did not live through it personally, he feels that he is constantly affected by it. * His father's personality was largely formed from his experiences in Auschwitz, and this personality in turn directly affected the way in which Art was raised. Vladek Spiegelman- r * Vladek is Art Spiegelman's father. * He grew up in pre-war Poland, and much of Maus traces his experiences in the Holocaust, as told in his own words to his son. * As the story opens in 1978, he is married to his second wife, Mala. The couple does not get along * Vladek's personality is largely dominated by his Holocaust experiences. During the Holocaust, he exhibited a spectacular resourcefulness, work ethic, and presence of mind that often enabled him to secure food, shelter, and safety for himself and his family. * He was a shrewd businessman, and in the most troubling times he saved everything of use. In 1978, he still saves everything and tries to exchange those things that he no longer needs. * Once so resourceful and competent, he is still constantly working on small projects, some of which he is incapable of completing. Anja Spiegelman- r * Anja is Art's mother and Vladek's first wife.The couple meets in Poland while Vladek is in a long-term relationship with another woman, Lucia Greenberg. * Always an anxious woman, she suffers an acute depression shortly after the birth of her son and spends three months recovering in a sanitarium. * She survives the Holocaust with her husband, and they immigrate to the United States a few years after the war. * Anja commits suicide in 1968, leaving both Art and Vladek in emotional turmoil. * Art's last memory of his mother is recorded in a comic called â€Å"Prisoner on the Hell Planet,† in which she enters Art's room and asks him if he still loves he r.His response, a terse and dismissive â€Å"sure,† haunts him for years. Lolek- f * Vladek's nephew and Uncle Herman's son. * Lolek lives with Anja's family for much of the initial German occupation, first at Anja's father's house and then in the Srodula ghetto. * When the situation deteriorates and Vladek makes preparations to hide in a shelter until the Nazis have evacuated the town, * Lolek tells his uncle that he is tired of hiding, and he is soon transported to Auschwitz. He survives the camps and eventually becomes a college professor. Richieu Spiegelman- f Richieu is Vladek and Anja's first child, born in Poland in 1937. * In 1943, Vladek and Anja send him to live under the protection of Uncle Persis, where they think he will be safer. * Richieu travels with Anja's sister, Tosha; * But soon after, Zawiercie is liquidated by the Nazis. Rather than be taken to the gas chamber, Tosha poisons herself and the children under her care, including Richieu. * After his death, V ladek and Anja keep a photograph of their first child hanging on the wall of their bedroom. Mala Spiegelman- f * Mala is Vladek's second wife, and a friend of his family from before the war. The couple does not get along. * Mala is consumed with frustration towards Vladek's inability to part with money, while Vladek views his wife with considerable distrust and accuses her of trying to steal his money. Francoise- f * Art's wife. * She is French and converted to Judaism in preparation for their marriage to please Vladek. * She is intelligent, kind, and opinionated, and their relationship is strong. * She plays a relatively minor role in the story, serving mostly as a means for Art to discuss his relationship with his father and the Holocaust. Mr. Zylberberg- f Anja's father. * Before the war, he is a wealthy manufacturer who owns a factory. * When Vladek and Anja are married, he provides Vladek with a factory of his own. * He survives with his family in German-occupied Poland, until the family is captured and sent to await transport to Auschwitz. * By bribing his cousin, Haskel, Vladek is able to arrange for the release of himself and Anja. Orbach- f * A friend of Vladek's family in Poland. * When Vladek is a prisoner of war, Orbach claims him as a cousin, so that Vladek is released into his custody and eventually returns home to Sosnowiec.Vladek's father- f * Vladek's father is a tough and deeply religious man. * His wife dies of cancer before the worst of the Holocaust. * Before the war, Vladek's father intentionally starves his son so that he will be declared unfit for the army. * Later, the Nazi grip tightens, and all Jews are made to register in a nearby stadium. Those who are fit to work are sent to one side, while the elderly and women with many children are sent to their deaths at the concentration camps. By registering at a table manned by his cousin, Mordecai, Vladek's father is spared. Before he leaves the tadium, however, he sees his daughter, Fela (Vladek's sister) and her four small children standing with those destined for Auschwitz. He crosses over to be with her, and all die in the camps. Uncle Herman- f * Anja's brother. * Along with his wife, Hela, he is visiting the New York World's Fair when the war begins, and they remain in the United States to escape the horrors abroad. Tosha- f * Tosha is Anja's older sister. * At the beginning of the German occupation of Poland, she lives with Anja's family in her father's house, along with her husband, Wolfe, and their small daughter, Bibbi. As the situation deteriorates Uncle Persis offers to keep her safely in nearby Zawiercie ghetto, where he is a prominent member of the Jewish Council. * She agrees, and leaves with Wolfe, Bibbi, and Vladek's son Richieu. Soon, though, the Germans slaughter the Jewish Council and begin to evacuate the Jews of Zawiercie to the camps. Rather than be sent to the gas chambers, Tosha poisons herself, her daughter, Herman's daughter Lonia, and Vlad ek's son Richieu. Mr. Ilzecki- f * A former customer of Vladek's from before the war. The two meet again after the German occupation and begin conducting business on the Sosnowiec black market * Mr. Ilzecki has a son about the same age as Vladek's, and he offers to send Richieu along with his own son to a Polish friend to hide until things get better. Nahum Cohn- f * A friend and business partner of Vladek's during his black market days in Sosnowiec. * Nahum is arrested along with his son for selling goods without coupons. * The Nazis decide to make an example of them and they are hanged in a well-know black market center and left there for a full week. Anja's Grandparents- f During the initial period of the German occupation, they live in Anja's father's house with the rest of the family. * Later, they are told to relocate to a â€Å"community better prepared to take care of the elderly. † * The family hides them for over a month, until the authorities arrest Anja's father a nd threaten to arrest more of his family if the grandparents are not given over to the Germans. * Anja's grandparents are taken away to Auschwitz, where they are killed. Haskel Spiegelman- f * Haskel is Vladek's cousin, and chief of the Jewish Police in the Srodula ghetto. He is the brother of Miloch and Pesach. He is what Vladek calls a kombinacya, or â€Å"schemer. † * While he is a rather unsavory character, he is a good person to know in the ghetto. * When Vladek's family is discovered in the â€Å"chandelier† bunker and sent to a compound to wait for transport to Auschwitz, Haskel arranges for Vladek, Anja, and Lolek to be released in exchange for valuables. Miloch Spiegelman- f * Miloch is Vladek's cousin, and brother to Haskel and Pesach. * He is Vladek's supervisor at the shoe repair shop in the Srodula ghetto, and an honorable man compared to the scheming Haskel. When the Germans make plans to eliminate all Jews in the ghetto, he prepares a hidden shelter behi nd a pile of shoes at the shop, where Vladek, Anja, and 15 other people hide for days. Pesach Spiegelman- f * Pesach is Vladek's cousin, and brother to Miloch and Haskel. * Like Haskel, he is a schemer and a rather unsavory character. * His most significant involvement centers on a scheme to sell cake to the inhabitants of the ghetto. * He makes a fortune, but everyone who eats it becomes sick – the cake was accidentally made with laundry soap in addition to flour. Mr. Lukowski- f The janitor at Anja's father's house. * When Vladek and Anja escape from the Srodula ghetto, they knock on his door and he allows them to stay in a shed behind his house. Mrs. Kawka- f * Mrs. Kawka is the owner of a small farm on the outskirts of Sosnowiec, and for a price she allows Vladek and Anja to hide in her barn. * Mrs. Kawka is the person who tells Vladek about the smugglers who can take him to Hungary. Mrs. Motonowa- f * Vladek befriends Mrs. Motonowa at the Sosnowiec black market after the liquidation of Srodula, and she offers to hide him and Anja at her farm, with her seven-year-old son. She is a kind woman, and the house is comfortable, except for a ten-day period in which Mrs. Motonowa's husband returns home from Germany on vacation, and they are forced to stay in the basement. * After Vladek and Anja attempt to escape to Hungary, she shelters Miloch and his family for the remainder of the war. Mandelbaum- f * Before the war, Mandelbaum owned a pastry store in Sosnowiec where Vladek and Anja often shopped. Abraham- f * Abraham is Mandelbaum's cousin. * He agrees to accompany the smugglers, and promises to write Mandelbaum and Vladek if he arrives safely in Hungary. He is betrayed, however, and forced at gunpoint to write the letter anyway. The Karps- f * The Karps are Vladek's neighbors at his Catskills bungalow. * When Art visits his father there, they take him aside and tell him that Vladek cannot possibly take care of himself. Vladek's Kapo- f * A â€Å"kapoà ¢â‚¬  is a Polish supervisor at a concentration camp. * Soon after Vladek arrives at Auschwitz, Vladek's kapo asks the Jews in the barracks if anyone there can speak English. Pavel- f * Pavel is Art's psychiatrist. * Like Art's father, Pavel is a survivor of the Holocaust. Art sees him once a week, and the sessions always seem to make him feel better. Mancie- f * Mancie is a female Hungarian Jew at Birkenau with Anja, * has higher status as a result of an affair with S. S. guard. * She acts as a go-between for Vladek and his wife, carrying notes and food. The Frenchman- f * After Vladek is transferred from Auschwitz to Dachau, he befriends a Frenchman with whom he converses in English. * Because he is not Jewish, the Frenchman is able to receive packages of food through the Red Cross, which he shares with Vladek, probably saving his life. http://www. gradesaver. com/maus/study-guide/character-list/