I wanted to find out then and quickly whether I was a louse like everybody else or a man. Whether I can step over barriers or not… whether I am a trembling creature or whether I have the right…
The murder becomes a warped personality test. He splits humanity into those who step over and those who tremble. The line shrinks a life into a yes/no exam. Sonia’s silence makes his words echo emptily. The self-label “louse” stings because he half believes it. The real barrier is inside him.