You've Got to Ask Yourself One Question, Do I Feel Lucky?

When I was reading through Maus I and II, I couldn't help but realize how much luck Vladek had throughout his journey. In fact, even Art admitted that "it's a miracle he survived" (pg. 90, Maus II). There were many instances where he happened to meet the right person that would help hide or protect him. This was not true for many of his friends, who were betrayed or simply killed by the Germans. Even after he was released as a war prisoner, he was lucky to have survived the encounters he had with the German patrols. On the other hand, I understand that part of his survival was also a result of his range of skills, intuition, charisma, and ability to bribe. Do you believe that luck or skill had more to do with Vladek's survival and why? What proof do you have from the book?

Looking back on Vladek's story and what you found for the previous question, how do you think Vladek's experience during the Holocaust differed from what most Jews had to go through? Are there any specific examples that illustrate this?