Mona's Eyes
54 pages • 1-hour read
Thomas Schlesser, Transl. Hildegarde SerleMona's Eyes
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Prologue-Part 1Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, substance use, substance dependency, bullying, and death.
Part 1: “The Louvre”
Prologue Summary: “Seeing Nothing Anymore”
One night, while 10-year-old Mona is doing her homework, she loses her vision. She cries out for her mother, Camille, who panics and calls the doctor. He suggests it is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), or sudden bout of blindness, which he guesses will go away within the hour. Camille and her husband Paul drive Mona to the hospital. Just as they’re arriving, Mona’s vision returns. Her parents take her in for testing anyway. Dr. Van Orst examines her, confirming Mona had a TIA, as she didn’t experience any other motor or neurological changes when she lost her vision. He orders an MRI anyway. Inside the machine, Mona clutches her pendant, which once belonged to her grandmother.
Mona’s tests come back negative. Even still, Mona’s parents are worried. They are already struggling with financial concerns, as Paul’s vintage shop is failing. He drinks to cope with his woes. Now, he and Camille fret over Mona’s health.
Camille takes Mona to see Dr. Van Orst several more times over the following days. He orders more tests and recommends that Mona see a psychiatrist, as she may lose her sight and psychological maintenance is paramount.
Camille informs her father, Henry (Dadé), of Mona’s TIA. She assures him Mona is fine but Dadé worries about the future of her condition. He and Mona have always been close; the only thing he doesn’t let Mona discuss is his late wife, Colette.
After a sleepover with her friends, Lili and Jade, Mona has a visit from Dadé. He observes Mona, marveling at her acuity of language and worrying over her future. He notices how ugly her belongings and room are and fears she will lose her vision and only have memories of ugly things.
Later, Camille informs him of Dr. Van Orst’s psychiatric recommendation, asking him to accompany Mona to the weekly appointments because she trusts him. Dadé promises to find Mona a good doctor, but secretly plans to take Mona to Paris’s best museums each week instead of to the psychiatrist, hoping to fill her memory with beautiful images.
Part 1, Chapter 1 Summary: “Sandro Botticelli: Learn to Receive”
Dadé takes Mona to the Louvre for their first weekly session. He tells her about the glass pyramid outside and the history of the palace. Then they go to see a Botticelli painting. Dadé tasks Mona with studying the image and telling him what she sees and feels. Dadé explains that the fresco’s lesson is about accepting things from others. Afterwards, Dadé reiterates that their weekly sessions are a secret.
Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary: “Leonardo Da Vinci: Smile at Life”
Mona returns to school. Madame Hadji teaches a lesson on Parisian history. Mona tries to focus but feels distracted by her silly classmate Diego and the class bully Guillaume, whom she thinks is attractive. Dadé picks her up after school and they return to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa. Dadé teaches Mona about Da Vinci’s history, and says the painting teaches the importance of “smiling at life” (40).
Part 1, Chapter 3 Summary: “Raphael: Cultivate Detachment”
Mona lies awake listening to her parents argue about money and Paul’s drinking habits. Camille is furious that he chooses to drink instead of confiding in her or making a change. In the morning, Mona pretends she didn’t hear anything and exclaims about her upcoming psychiatry appointment.
That afternoon, Mona and Dadé return to the Louvre to see a Raphael painting. They discuss Raphael’s life and work, as well as the painting’s imagery and techniques. Dadé asserts that the painting is about learning to detach from one’s emotions so they don’t become controlling.
Part 1, Chapter 4 Summary: “Titian: Trust the Imagination”
Mona continues seeing Dr. Van Orst. She doesn’t mind the appointments but Camille always seems despondent afterwards. One afternoon, she crouches in front of Mona and studies her eyes, unnerving Mona. She feels better when Camille remarks on her beauty.
Dadé takes Mona to see Titian’s The Pastoral Concert the following Wednesday. Mona asks insightful questions about the work. The two discuss concepts of harmony and imagination. Then they notice a woman in a green shawl listening to them; Mona teases Dadé that the woman is interested in him.
Part 1, Chapter 5 Summary: “Michelangelo: Free Yourself From Matter”
At recess one day, Mona and her friends discuss when a child is supposed to stop playing. Mona gets distracted watching Guillaume from afar. Guillaume is mean but she doesn’t like when Lili is mean to him, too.
Back at the Louvre, Mona and Dadé see Michelangelo’s The Rebellious Slave and The Dying Slave. Dadé tells Mona about Michelangelo. He is impressed by her remarks on the statues.
Part 1, Chapter 6 Summary: “Frans Hals: Respect Humble Folks”
Mona witnesses another of her parents’ fights over money. Paul gets upset when Camille mentions his drinking in front of Mona and becomes angry and aggressive. Mona is initially upset but finally tells Camille that Paul will someday turn his problems into something beautiful. Camille and Paul are stunned into silence, convinced her therapy is helping.
Back at the Louvre, Dadé takes Mona to see Frans Hals’s The Gypsy Girl. He tells Mona about Hals’s life and work and about Roma history and culture. The painting, he explains, is about showing people of all backgrounds respect. On the way out, Dadé muses on his and Mona’s conversation and again wonders at the distinct quality of her language. He still can’t discern what makes her way of speaking so special.
Part 1, Chapter 7 Summary: “Rembrandt: Know Yourself”
At Mona’s next check-up, Camille decides to ask Dr. Van Orst if Mona still risks “losing her sight one day” (77). On the way, Camille trips over an unhoused man who is blind. Camille is so unnerved that she cancels Mona’s appointment.
On Wednesday, Mona expresses her worry to Dadé over lying to her parents about the psychiatrist. He assuages her concerns and they go to see a Rembrandt self-portrait. Dadé teaches Mona about Rembrandt, Dutch painting, and the Italian Renaissance. He then asserts that the painting is about the importance of knowing oneself.
Part 1, Chapter 8 Summary: “Johannes Vermeer: The Infinitely Small Is Infinitely Big”
Mona celebrates the holidays with her family. She is disappointed she doesn’t get a pet like her friends, but is thankful her parents let Lili and Jade come over. During a game of Truth or Dare, Mona admits she would like to kiss Guillaume.
Back at the Louvre, Dadé shows Mona Johannes Vermeer’s The Astronomer. They discuss Catholicism versus Protestantism and the importance of balancing spirituality and science.
Part 1, Chapter 9 Summary: “Nicolas Poussin: Let Nothing Make You Tremble”
Throughout the winter, Paul’s store continues to struggle. Mona notices her father’s distress when she spends afternoons after school there. One day, she explores in the basement, discovering a box of curious figurines. She extracts one and displays it in the window, waiting for Paul to notice.
Dadé takes Mona back to the Louvre to see Nicolas Poussin’s Et in Arcadia ego. They discuss the painting and offer interpretations of its title. Dadé asserts it is about remembering human mortality.
Part 1, Chapter 10 Summary: “Philippe de Champaigne: Always Believe Miracles Are Possible”
At Mona’s next check-up, Dr. Van Orst recommends hypnosis. Camille and Paul are skeptical, which Dr. Van Orst asserts will jeopardize the integrity of the treatment.
Back at the Louvre, Mona and Dadé study a Philippe de Champaigne painting. They discuss their interpretations and notions of miracles and grace. Dadé considers offering more commentary on the work, but fears these details too closely resemble Mona’s own medical condition.
Part 1, Chapter 11 Summary: “Antoine Watteau: There’s a Downside to Every Celebration”
Part 1, Chapter 12 Summary: “Antonio Canaletto: Make the World Stand Still”
At Paul’s shop one day, Mona works on homework while Paul tinkers with a new invention. A customer arrives, remarking on the figurine in the window. He identifies it as a Vertunni and offers Paul 50 euros for it. A shocked Paul sells the figurine, which he didn’t remember displaying and didn’t know he had. On the way home, Paul gets a nice bottle of wine to celebrate, but puts it away when Mona asks him not to drink.
Next Wednesday, Dadé shows Mona an Antonio Canaletto painting. He teaches her about the artist and the staffage technique. Dadé posits that the painting is about not letting life control us.
Part 1, Chapter 13 Summary: “Thomas Gainsborough: Let the Feelings Be Expressed”
Camille takes Mona back to the doctor. A nervous Camille watches videos on her phone while waiting, until Mona reaches over and stops the videos. Just then, a nurse asks them to return another day because the office had an influx of more urgent patients. Camille is glad Mona isn’t one of them.
Mona and Dadé return to the Louvre to see Thomas Gainsborough’s Conversation in a Park. They remark on the painting and talk about love. Mona is so taken by the work, she reaches out and touches it, triggering the museum alarms.
Part 1, Chapter 14 Summary: “Marguerite Gérard: There’s No Such Thing as the Weaker Sex”
At school, Mona gets into a confrontation with Guillaume. She clutches her pendant and stands up to him, shocking everyone. After school, Dadé takes Mona back to the Louvre. This time they see Marguerite Gérard’s The Interesting Student. They study the painting, analyzing each element and discussing gender politics during the early 18th century.
Part 1, Chapter 15 Summary: “Jacques-Louis David: Use the Ancient as Your Future”
Back at Paul’s shop, Mona returns to the basement and unearths the other figurines. She then concocts a display for them. Amid her work, her pendant falls off and through a grate in the floor. A distressed Mona experiences another bout of temporary blindness and cries out for her grandmother. Guessing she is upset about the pendant, Paul extracts it from the grate. Mona doesn’t tell him or Camille about the TIA.
Mona returns to the Louvre with Dadé to see a Jacques-Louise David work. The two further discuss Libertinism and the Enlightenment.
Part 1, Chapter 16 Summary: “Marie-Guillemine Benoist: Eliminate All Segregation”
Mona returns to the eye doctor. Dr. Van Orst remarks at how sharp her vision is. While he talks to Camille, Mona reads the Hippocratic Oath on the wall, moved by the language.
On Wednesday, Mona and Dadé get hotdogs before returning to the Louvre to see Marie-Guillemine Benoist’s Portrait of Madeleine. Dadé says the painting is about accepting everyone and disrupting the era’s racist values. Afterwards, Dadé worries Mona is upset by their conversation but decides she is probably only craving another hotdog.
Part 1, Chapter 17 Summary: “Francisco Goya: Monsters Are Lurking Everywhere”
At recess one day, another fight erupts. Mona realizes her face-off with Guillaume hasn’t changed anything, but feels bad when her friends tease Guillaume.
At the Louvre, Dadé and Mona study a Goya painting and discuss its techniques and meaning. Dadé says it’s about acknowledging the darkness inside oneself.
Part 1, Chapter 18 Summary: “Caspar David Friedrich: Close Your Bodily Eye”
At the shop one day, Paul drinks heavily and falls asleep. A sad and frustrated Mona decides to transform his hedgehog wine rack into something different. The ugly thing seems beautiful once she finishes her project.
On Wednesday, Mona asks Dadé about beauty; he assures her she is one of the most beautiful things to him. Afterwards, they study Caspar David Friedrich’s The Tree of Crows and discuss notions of romance, loneliness, and love. On their way out, Dadé muses on his late wife and Mona’s memories of her.
Part 1, Chapter 19 Summary: “William Turner: All Is but Dust”
Dr. Van Orst gives Mona a good report at her next check-up, but she still feels uneasy. She fears Dr. Van Orst’s “50-50” prognosis has to do with the chances of losing her vision, though no one has explicitly told her so. She interrupts Camille and the doctor and announces that she wants to try hypnosis.
The following Wednesday, Mona and Dadé study a William Turner painting, discussing the artist’s style and notions of the sublime. Afterwards, Dadé informs Mona this is their last day at the Louvre: Next week they will start visiting the Musée d’Orsay.
Prologue-Part 1 Analysis
The opening chapters of Mona’s Eyes establish the narrative structure and form, while introducing the novel’s primary characters, conflicts, and themes. The novel is written from the third-person point of view and details the 10-year-old protagonist Mona’s experiences after she has a temporary bout of blindness, inciting Mona’s coming-of-age experience. She is still a child and thus does not have a crystallized sense of self. She is still discovering the world around her and making sense of her own identity.
The third-person narrator is primarily limited to her vantage point, but also employs free indirect discourse, at times inhabiting the consciousnesses of Mona’s mother, Camille; father, Paul; and grandfather, Henry (Dadé). The narrator’s drifts into the adult characters’ perspectives balances Mona’s at times dreamy way of experiencing the world. These formal techniques add dimension to Mona’s world, offering insight into her circumstances, her familial, domestic, and cultural contexts, and providing perspective on her developing worldview.
Mona’s temporary bout of blindness—or transient ischemic attack (TIA)—acts as the narrative’s inciting incident. In the wake of Mona’s TIA, Mona’s daily life changes. She becomes increasingly aware of her parents’ fears and worries, and she starts spending more time with her grandfather. Dadé’s decision to instate their weekly museum visits is directly catalyzed by Mona’s TIA. Their weekly museum visits dictate the overarching structure, plot line, and trajectory of the narrative—offering Mona’s complex journey toward personal growth a neat narrative framework. Each chapter is titled with the name of the artist Mona and Dadé are studying at the museum and the central theme or lesson of that work.
Schlesser’s plot structure and use of titling lend an orderliness to Mona’s otherwise unpredictable condition, while launching the novel’s theme of Art Education as Emotional Formation. Mona is a thoughtful, intelligent, and curious child, making her character ideal for a personalized education in classical artwork. Dadé perceives her inquisitive nature, noting that she “never feared not understanding, and laughed at any mistakes and misunderstandings” (12). Dadé knows Mona is open to new ideas and wants to instill important values in his granddaughter. His concern for Mona’s ophthalmological and emotional health also spurs his decision to take her to Paris’s museums instead of to the psychiatrist.
To Dadé, experiencing beauty is a way to navigate life’s trials. When he discovers that Mona might lose her sight for good and that she might “be left, inside her head, with only the memory of tawdry and futile things” (16), he is determined to intervene on her behalf. Each week, he introduces her to a new work of art and its artist in an attempt to teach Mona about how to cope with life in a healthy and informed way. He views art as an essential avenue to navigating disappointment and loss.
While Dadé is not a psychiatrist, his regular museum outings with Mona offer her insight into the human experience. Each work of art they study offers Mona a life lesson and contributes to her emotional development. For example, Botticelli’s work teaches that “to be capable of great and beautiful things, [we] must be ready to embrace the kindness of others” (29); Da Vinci’s work teaches the importance of “opening up to life, smiling at life, even in the face of what we can barely see […] because that’s the best way of instilling a happy order into it” (41); and Raphael’s work teaches the importance of “not being the slave of one’s emotions, and of knowing to keep them at a respectable distance” (49-50).
The start of Mona and Dadé ’s weekly museum visits also introduces the theme of Building Intergenerational Intimacy Through Teaching. The recurring scenes of Mona and Dadé spending time together enact their deepening relationship. Mona and Dadé already have a close connection at the novel’s start. Dadé sees Mona as something of a magical child, while Mona regards Dadé as “her revered grandfather” (14). Spending time with him every week only intensifies her respect for and attachment to Dadé, and vice versa. The narrator notes that Mona “trust[s] him totally, had faith in him as in no other adult” (17). The more she listens to her grandfather’s insight into the paintings they study, the more she respects his artistic intelligence and emotional acuity. The museum ritual offers the characters a way to connect beyond generational difference. They are able to discuss universal experiences although their circumstances contrast so sharply. Art is a throughway to this intergenerational intimacy.
Throughout Part 1, Mona applies each of the concepts she learns from art to her daily life, reflecting Navigating Self-Discovery via Explorations of the Past. While the scenes of her and Dadé at the Louvre are the backbone of the narrative, intermittent scenes of Mona at school, at home, and at her father’s shop convey how her museum trips are impacting her psyche. At school, Mona starts to engage with the ethics of classroom and playground politics; she tries to show grace and kindness to others to achieve the very harmony she and Dadé noted in Titian’s The Pastoral Concert.
At home, Mona starts to engage with her parents’ financial and emotional debates, assuring her mother that her father’s despair might someday become his redemption—a notion she learned from Goya. At Paul’s shop, Mona begins to experiment with shape and form in her own way when she excavates the figurines, creates a display, and transforms Paul’s ugly wine rack. Mona is developing a more defined emotional sense. In the face of conflict—such as the playground fights, her parents’ arguments, or her father’s drinking—Mona doesn’t resort to fits of tears or emotional outbursts. Instead, she assumes a contemplative state, which conveys how her art education is also helping her develop her own sense of self and perspective.
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