The Significance of the Swastika

            

For many people around the world, the swastika evokes a sense of horror at the brutal oppression and the violent subjugation of the Jews. However, for the billions of people from eastern cultures, the swastika represents just the opposite; it is a symbol of fortune and prosperity, commonly depicted on the walls of temples and on clothing and jewelry. Until fairly recently, just about eighty years ago, the swastika was also a largely positive symbol in the western world, present on mosaics in Spain, Italy, and even the U.S.

            The swastika’s orientation is what distinguishes the Nazi swastika from its traditional rendition in Asian cultures. The traditional swastika has the form of a square, but the Nazi swastika is the traditional swastika rotated 45 degrees. The Nazi swastika is drawn in the shape of a diamond, with a definite low point and a high point, representing how the Nazis had a strong belief in the superiority and inferiority of a select few races. The Nazi symbol is also precariously balanced on just one point, ready to tip over, reflecting how unstable and chaotic Nazi Germany was.

In the novel, the swastika is a recurring symbol, striking fear in the Jews whenever they run across it. In many panels, the swastika acts as a searchlight, threatening the Jews still in hiding to reveal themselves to the Nazis. The swastika also represents the rise of the Nazis; the swastika rises in the sky like the sun, just as the Nazis are rising to power in the world. When Vladek is trying to avoid the Nazis, he recounts that he “didn’t have anywhere to go”.  Vladek’s desperation grows, as he says that he “walked in the direction of Sosnowiec, but where to go?!” (Vol. 1 p. 125). During this moment of increasing despair, Vladek almost sees the swastika spanning the streets ahead of him, realizing that the Nazis will inevitably capture him. In fact, the swastika represents terror to such a degree that it is never drawn entirely. The swastika is always obstructed by some other character or object in order to lessen the misery and hopelessness the swastika evokes.  

            Much of the world continues to remember the violence and persecution of Nazi Germany when they see the Swastika, forgetting how that the Swastika has represented peace and luck since ancient times. We seem unable to completely move on from the crimes of the past, dwelling on the negatives instead of focusing on the positives. Similarly, Vladek is consumed by the violence and torture he faced in the concentration camps decades after the war. Instead of being grateful that he survived the war, Vladek almost wishes that he perished as well, along with his friends and family. Perhaps Vladek could have found more value to his life had he considered the positives in his new life, with a new family and a more relaxed, peaceful lifestyle.