This scene show us that finally, right before his father's death, Art realizes at he is not inferior to Richieu. Vladek calls Art Richieu because he is proud of what his son has done and see no difference between the two. Art spent his whole life believing that his parents loved Richieu because he was the perfect child, never thinking that his parents loved him just as much. It took the time he and his father spend together talking about the Holocaust for them to grow close enough for Art to realize that his father did love just as much as he had Richieu.