Images

In the middle of page 1 is a series of three frames that I find particularly interesting. First of the three is a picture of the two towers smoking, then the next frame is Dan Rather's head. Here, Spiegelman comments about the scale of what you see on TV: that the two towers aren't much bigger than Dan Rather's head. The majority of America experienced 9/11 this way: via television broadcasts. What Spiegelman is implying about scale, I think, goes beyond just the size of the image. I think he feels that the rest of the country cannot possibly comprehend the scale of the attacks on New York City because they are detached from them. What he experienced first hand, and what he feels as a result doesn't come across on TV. Finally, in the third frame he comments that logos seem enormous on television, and in the frame is a person watching a TV with a huge American flag on it. I think everyone can relate to this image; there seemed to be an American flag logo flying across the TV screen every 20 seconds after the 9/11 attacks. This flag--the symbol of unity and fraternal spirit of our country--on the other hand, is easy for people to relate to and feel like they are a part of something. In the picture, I am assuming this is Spiegelman sitting on the floor in front of the TV in a mesmorized state, but I think it also represents the rest of the country. Interestingly, there is a plane flying into the side of the TV, which I think symbolizes how his brain can't let go of what happened and he is totally consumed by the attacks. No matter what he does, he continues to see these images everywhere.