and its various pursuits. The Samsas, on the other hand, are barely scraping by, entirely dependent of Gregor's income. In addition, the Samsas are a miserable lot emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually.
These family differences are in part due to the differences in the cultural milieux in which they live. Ethnic differences aside, the Spiegelmans are a much more outgoing family in every way, whereas, far more socioeconomically constrained, the Samsas are an unhappy lot. Internally, the Spiegelmans are a much closer family than the Samsas and they stick together in every crisis, small or great.
For example, when Anja has the family's first baby, she has a breakdown, and the family stands behind her and Art's father (Spiegelman 30-31). The entire book by Spiegelman is as much a tribute to the love of his parents for one another as it is a record of the horrors of the N
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