Maus Vs. Night

While reading a book you often think "What if?", "Why?"or think about the message the story is telling. In the book Night by Elie Wiesel and the books Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegleman these questions and many others come to mind while reading. Both books are about World War II and the horrors of the Holocaust and the Nazi death camps. The books are not only similar in they are set in the time of World War II but show the meanings of survival, love and hope. In both books, the main characters are faced with death or the possibility of death everyday. Life is the un-known and death is normal. In Maus II, in order to go to the bathroom, Vladek (the main character) has to not only step on the dead bodies but must also urinate on them. This shows how common death was and how rare survival really was. It is seen similar in Night, "There was no longer any questions of wealth, of social distinction, and importance, only people all condemned to the same fate-- still un-known" (19). This quote shows that if they continue to worry about wealth and social class they will die, they need only to worry about the bare minimums, food, water and warmth. Which are very hard to come by. Another similarity is hope. It is seen in both books that hope and love will help carry you to survive. In Night, a big reason Elie survives is the hope and love he gets from his dad. With having his dad with him, he feels as if he has a reason to keep going and not to give up. This is similar to Maus I and II. In these books Vladek and his wife, Anja find ways to keep their love and hope strong. By living not only for themselves but for the other as well. If one dies, so does the other. They both make sacrifices to help keep the other alive. Whether it be sharing food or writing a letter, love and hope keep the two families alive.

Restrepo Vs. Fallen Angels

Pre-Write:
In the book Fallen Angels, and the movie Restrepo, it shows the band of brotherhood and what people do to survive in war. At the beginning of the book and movie, both groups of characters are very cocky, ignorant and excited to go and fight in war. When the groups of people are in their base, they both say "What are we doing her? What is the purpose of us being here?" When talking to their parents and family, both the people in Fallen Angels and Restrepo act like they are doing fine and that everything is going well. Another similarity is that the Army wastes lots of money for killing one man, In the book they waste $10,000 to kill a sniper, and in the movie Restrepo, they waste lots of money to kill one person. When the people go on patrols, they try and make friends with the native people so they will help them in finding the enemy. Also while on patrols, they constantly get ambushed. Another similarity is that both groups of people lose close friends in the war but they also save great friends from near death in the war. Finally, certain people in the squad cannot sleep because of the horrific sights they have seen in the battles and war.

Final Draft:
Walter Dean Meyers' book "Fallen Angels" and the war documentary "Restrepo" have a very similar theme of brotherhood is a very big part of staying alive in not only in war but in everyday life as well. This is seen many times both figuratively and literally. When going into their war, the characters in the book and people in the film are very cocky and excited to go into war. When they finally get into fighting and into the war, they realize that it is hell. By having brothers by your side its is less intimidating and less scary because they know that someone is watching your back. Also, both groups of "brothers" say "What are we doing here? What is my purpose of being here?". The reason they are there is because of their brothers, the guys to their left and their right. Lastly, both save their brothers in a time of need. In Restrepo, when soldier is downed, right away two of his "brothers" rush over to help him. In the book "Fallen Angels" Pee-Wee and Perry, save Monoco when he is about to be ambushed by the enemy. Brotherhood is a very strong bond in friends and brothers. The secret and hidden code is what helps keep these brave soldiers in the book "Fallen Angels" and the movie "Restrepo" going.