Crossroads and Decisions

On pg 125 of Maus I of Spiegelman's artwork, Vladek has just escaped from the concentration camp by waiting inside the bunker hidden by a pile of shoes. However, as the survivors split into different directions, it is revealed by the swastika-shaped crossroad that no matter where Vladek and Anja go to, they will never escape the influence of Hitler. In the background, the gas chambers and smoke pipes can be seen, indicating that that is the end destination for all Jews. The panel also shows a barren field, lifeless and leveled. There is no shelter or hiding place to hide behind; the Germans will be able to find you if you stand still.

Of course, only the reader can see this swastika. In the perspective of Vladek, he has escaped from the grasp of the Germans. Even though he was lost and didn't know where to go, as far as he was concerned, he was free from the concentration camps. As he decides where to go next, he does not know that the path is already predetermined. They are too small and undervalued because of their Jewish background, which causes Vladek to be unable to see the swastika he walks on.