] Roughly 30% of these individuals develop a chromic form that persists throughout their lifetimes," ("What"). Some of these symptoms include, major depression, conduct disorders, drug abuse and dependency, simple phobias, and social phobias. The family of the survivor can also be affected by the disorder, ("What"). As, Dr. Yael Danieli states in his article, entitled "As Survivors Age", what happened in the parents" generation must affect the next, even if the child was born years after the Holocaust (Danieli). Art, his father and his mother all exhibit some of these characteristics. The characters have unnecessary anxiety, fears, obsessions, depression, and relationship problems that are shown throughout Art's narration. .
Vladek has many anxiety issues that directly relate to him surviving the Holocaust. He obsesses over money, making sure he never buys anything he does not have to and balances his checkbook until it is completely even (Maus II 23). One time while walking with Art, Vladek takes some phone wire he finds in a trash can. When Art asks him why he can't buy phone wire, Vladek remarks, "Pssh. Why always you want to buy when you can find!?" (Maus I 118). This is an example of Vladek's thriftiness that can be seen throughout the story. According to the Trauma Recovery Program, "trauma itself triggers the anxiety disorder of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," ("Causes"). The traits expressed through Art's character are not unique to him, but can be found repeatedly in the Holocaust survivor population.
Vladek's anxiety can also be shown through his dreams. Vladek has had nightmares ever since he had been in the concentration camps, another common symptom of survivors ("What"). One evening Art and his wife Francois hear Vladek moaning in his sleep. When she asks what the noise is, he explains, "he's moaning in his sleep again. When I was a kid I thought that was the noise all grown-ups made while they slept," (Maus II 74).
