Interview Analysis Sample

Like Art Spiglmen, I conducted an interview with someone who interests me. Throughout this interview, I learned about the importance of listening and putting myself out there to learn more about people. I learned about how great of an artist Jon was. It was interesting to see how much I can relate to Jon, which is something I hadn't noticed previously. I feel there is a great value in learning about someone and  through people's stories we learn where they are coming from. I feel that just being able to listen to someone talking about their life has been very beneficial to me. Going into this interview I was thinking that I was going to learn more about college life and what my father and Jon’s childhood was like, but I learned that what people have gone  through is important as well as just the art of listening and communication. Many people enjoy talking and sharing stories about their lives, but if we don't put ourselves out there to learn this information then these awesome lessons and stories are wasted. We don't realize how amazing people’s lives are and for us to hear about this is truly important. I don't think that I would have been able to do this interview without guidance from Ms. Stockdale and inspiration from Artie in Maus. Moving forward, I think that I have developed a better understanding of  Jon and my father, and am able to relate to their childhoods and hearing some inspirational stories. 

In my interview with Jon and my Dad, I learned the importance of friendship and how it relates to the theme of Identity. I heard from Jon about the experiences he had with his friends and the lifelong friends he has made. Friends can shape our lives and make us the people we are today. In the book Maus by Art Spiegleman we see Vladek talking about friends,  “Friends? Your friends?… If you lock them together in a room with no food for a week… THEN you could see what it is, friends!” (Page 6 Part 1) True friends, which Vladek is talking about, are very important in a person's development and growth. Someone who grows up without friends will lead a much different life than someone with many supportive friends. If we look at someone's physical identity this could be a leading factor in who we decide to trust and become friends with. In Chapter 3 of book 2, we see Vladek being selective of his trust in people due to race, “How can you, of all people, be such a racist!” When Vladek encounters an African American hitchhiker he decides not to pick him up due to his race. During the Holocaust, friendship proved crucial to survival, and I learned during my interview that this idea still applies today.  

My interview taught me about how strong relationships with our family can be very important. My Dad talked about how he spent time with his father and that it was nice to have someone who supported and guided him. Artie proved to be a very influential character with his attempts to build a strong relationship with his father. The father-son relationship is very important as well as developing a good trust in one another. In Maus, Artie’s attempts to get to know his father better was a leap in the right direction towards a better relationship. We could see that Artie wasn't very connected to his father and he felt overlooked by his dead brother Richeu. "That's the point. They didn't NEED photos of me in their room, I was alive! The photo never threw tantrums or got in any kind of trouble. It was an ideal kid, and I was a pain in the ass. I couldn't compete." (Part 2 Chapter 1) In my life, I can relate to this because I feel happier and safer when I am on good terms with my parents. Artie’s attempts to unlock his father’s stories was a smart decision and ended up making a story that we could relate to. 

Language holds the power to tell impelling stories, but in Maus language is used to tell about the terrible Holocaust. Vladek's stories hold a lot of meaning; they are vivid and elaborate stories. Language allowed Artie to get a glimpse into Vladek's early life. In my short interview, I learned many lessons about my interview subjects. It was important to learn how much I had the potential to accomplish. This idea further shows the importance of sharing and passing down stories. Vladek lived through so much during the Holocaust which he told Artie about, “It was many, many such stories – synagogues burned, Jews beaten with no reason, whole towns pushing out all Jews – each story worse than the other.” I realized that Artie probably learned considerably more through his interview than I did. From my standpoint, we can learn more about someone through their struggles than success or happy times. Artie spoke about how he feels bad that he couldn't live through what Vladek did. Artie wants this because he feels that he would be able to connect with Vladek more by seeing what he lived through. 

In conclusion, my interview taught me about the power of storytelling and the importance of passing down stories. Artie is a great example of this and many people should follow in his footsteps. . The way that Spiegelman decided to tell his story was very smart and he told an amazing story through Vladek's life. I'm glad that I was able to hear about my dad and Jon’s life and I was surprised at how much I could relate to them. I have realized  from my interview that people have many stories that they love to tell, we just need to listen.