Quote 1
“It sounds like you’re feeling remorse – maybe you believe you exposed your father to ridicule […] And now that you’re becoming successful, you feel bad about proving your father wrong.” (II.2.34)
Pavel, Art’s therapist, helps both Art and the reader sort out the complex emotional dynamics of his guilt.
Quote 2
“Maybe your father needed to show that he was always right – that he could always survive – because he felt guilty about surviving […] And he took his guilt out on you, where it was safe…on the real survivor.” (II.2.34)
Again, thank you, Pavel, for shining a light on Art’s relationship with his father. Pavel’s words make Vladek a far more sympathetic character. Vladek’s behavior is explained as arising out of his conflicted feelings about survival, and not necessarily from his belief in his superiority over his son.
Quote 3
“Yes, life always takes the side of life, and somehow the victims are blamed. But it wasn’t the best people who survived, nor did the best ones die. It was random!” (II.2.35)
Pavel reminds us that those who survived were not necessarily the most deserving. That can only compound the guilt of the survivors, who may not feel they had a right to survive when more deserving people died.