In Maus II, what qualities does Vladek have that allowed him to "cope" at Auschwitz?How did these qualities work against him in his later life?

In Maus II, Vladek exhibits his extreme sense of resourcefulness, and this trait allows him to cope at Auschwitz.  Vladek tells Art that the prisoners were given limited portions of food, so Vladek routinely ate half his portion of bread during regular meal times and saved the other half for later.  Also, Vladek is able to get his hands on items such as cheese that he is able to trade for favors from others in the camp. 

Later in life, Vladek's resourcefulness works against him because he does not fully realize that he is no longer in a position that warrants such resourcefulness.  For example, after Mala leaves, Vladek has extra food that he tries to get Art and Francoise to take with them.  After they refuse the food, Vladek decides that it cannot go to waste, so he tapes up an almost-empty box of cereal and returns it to the grocery store.  Art and Francoise are completely embarrassed by Vladek's behavior, but they can do nothing to convince him otherwise.