Writing Prompt 2 (Informative): Art Spiegelman, in Maus, and Shirley Hughes, in Hero on a Bicycle,
wrote fictionalized narratives based on the real-
life horrors of World War II. Describe how the
characters in each book found creative ways to
survive. Use evidence from both texts to support
your ideas.

   Art Spiegelman, in Maus, and Shirley Hughes, in  Hero on a Bicycle, both wrote about the lives of fictional characters who, during the Second World War, struggled to stay alive and keep away from Nazi forces. Both characters in both stories discovered new and creative ways to sneak around forbidden areas either for entertainment or for money and materials. Each character had his own way of surviving and clinging on to life. Vladek in  Maus, for example, found out that he could trade and purchase materials without using coupons (coupons were necessary to purchase goods for Poland Jews) to make some extra cash! He visited friends, family members, or shops that had owed him money from before the war to provide himself and his family with food and materials that were crucial for survival during wartime. Even when he was caught, he thought about clever ideas that managed to release him from the grasp of Nazi forces. On page 85, for example, Vladek Spiegelman made his ILLEGAL sugar business look as it was LEGAL! Vladek explained how "one time I [Vladek] had 10 or 15 kilos of sugar to deliver" when the Nazi forces asked him "'What are you carrying?'" He then fooled the forces by saying "'I'm taking it over to my grocery store.' I [Vladek] made so they would think it was legal. I went to the back door where I had to deliver... and they let me go without even checking my papers!" This description of Vladek's clever and quick thinking is just ONE of the examples of his creative ways of survival.

   Paulo Crivelli on Hero on a Bicycle  also found creative ways to stay away from midnight crawlers in Florence. He avoided specific routes, dodged drunkards, and steered clear from thugs to keep himself and his beloved bicycle safe. This section of the text by author  Shirley Hughes on  Hero on a Bicycle  proves the smart actions of fictional thirteen-year-old Paulo Crivelli. The text states how Paulo "had learned how to dodge drunks and gangs of boys much tougher than he was, to dismount and whisk around corners to avoid the civil or military police, and to keep well within the shadow of the wall in deserted squares."  This section from the text proves how Paulo, similar to Vladek, was smart, creative, and skillful in avoiding threats during the Second World War.  

   

Explanation:

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