In the frame narrative for chapter 2 of Maus, Spiegelman informs readers not only about Vladek’s physical health but also about his vision. We learn that Vladek’s left eye had to be operated on and replaced with a glass eye, and that his right eye has cataracts that compromise his vision. Why might Art Spiegelman devote two whole pages to the description of his father’s vision? What do you make of how the doctors treat Vladek? When the eye doctor remarks that Vladek’s “left eye is perfect,” is he being serious? Finally, how might the condition of Vladek’s eyes be symbolic?
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Art Spiegelman devotes two pages to the description of his father’s vision to emphasize the physical and emotional toll that the Holocaust had on Vladek. The doctors’ treatment of Vladek is cold and clinical, which reflects the dehumanizing experience of being a prisoner in a concentration camp. The eye doctor’s remark that Vladek’s “left eye is perfect” is likely meant to be ironic, as Vladek’s eye is not actually perfect, but rather a glass eye. The condition of Vladek’s eyes may be symbolic of the trauma he experienced during the Holocaust. His left eye, which is a glass eye, could represent the loss of innocence and the trauma of the Holocaust, while his right eye, which has cataracts, could represent the fog of memory and the difficulty of remembering the past.