Joe's Internal Struggle: Past vs. Present
JOE'S CLASHING LIVES: PAST VS. PRESENT Ever since Joe made the journey across the Atlantic to take refuge in America, he has felt unrelenting guilt living a comfortable, at times lavish, life in America while his family suffers through the Holocaust in Europe. While Joe's primary goal in entering the comic book business was to acquire enough money to free his family from the shackles of war-torn Europe, just as the Escapist would, he eventually realizes this task would be easier said than done, intensifying his guilt and frustration. To combat these emotions, Joe thrashes the Nazi regime in his comic books, fighting the "funny-book war." Joe knows there is little he can do to make a significant impact in the course of the war in Europe and genuinely help his family, so he fights with all he has through the heroes of his comic books, hoping to instill the unceasing anger he feels towards the Nazis in his readers. However, even this isn't enough to satisfy Joe