Chapter 1: The Sheik
* Summary: Art Spiegelman visits his father, Vladek, a Holocaust survivor living in Rego Park, Queens. Vladek tells Art about his experiences as a prisoner in Auschwitz, focusing on the hardships he endured and the friendships he formed.
* Example: Vladek recounts how he and other prisoners were forced to dig a drainage ditch in the freezing cold. Vladek's friend, Richieu, accidentally slipped, and the guards beat him to death.
Chapter 2: The Honeymoon
* Summary: Vladek meets Anja, a fellow survivor, and they marry. They struggle to adjust to married life and deal with the emotional scars of their experiences.
* Example: Anja becomes pregnant, but she miscarries due to the trauma she suffered during the Holocaust. Vladek is devastated and blames himself for being unable to protect her.
Chapter 3: Mazel and Shlimazel
* Summary: Art learns more about his parents' past. He discovers that his father was a successful fabric merchant in Poland before the war. Vladek tells the story of his mother, Anja, and her sister, Tosha.
* Example: Tosha, a beautiful and popular girl, marries a wealthy man but is later murdered by the Nazis. Vladek believes that Tosha's fate was due to bad luck ("shlimazel"), while Anja's survival was due to good fortune ("mazel").
Chapter 4: Prisoners
* Summary: Vladek describes the conditions in Auschwitz, including the torture, starvation, and disease that the prisoners endured. He recalls his own close encounters with death and the constant fear he lived with.
* Example: Vladek is ordered to clean the latrine, and he notices a body lying in the open. He realizes that the body is his friend, Meir Katz.
Chapter 5: Survival
* Summary: Despite the horrors they faced, Vladek and Anja managed to survive Auschwitz. Vladek credits his ingenuity, determination, and the support of his fellow prisoners for his survival.
* Example: Vladek and Anja hide in a latrine pit when the Nazis hold a selection to choose who will be killed. They remain hidden for two days, living on scraps of food and urine.
Chapter 6: The Liberation
* Summary: Auschwitz is liberated in 1945. Vladek and Anja are among the few survivors. They travel to various Displaced Persons camps and eventually make their way to the United States.
* Example: Vladrek and Anja are overjoyed to be liberated, but they are also haunted by the memories of the Holocaust. They struggle to find a sense of normalcy and belonging in the aftermath.
