The Theater

The first meeting between the protagonist and Kathleen takes place at a theater in Paris. The theater is also where the two are headed when the accident occurs. Kathleen has suggested that they see they see The Brothers Karamazov, but Eliezer prefers to see something else: an average mystery, he says. He does not wish to have his thoughts provoked. Rather, he wants to use the theater to escape his thoughts. It is fitting, therefore, that on his way to the theatre, he foresees his ultimate escape: death.

The Sea

The sea symbolizes death. While gazing at the sea from a ship heading to South America, the protagonist contemplates suicide. He is not alone in his desire to jump into the sea and disappear into oblivion. The stranger on the ship, with whom he has a conversation, has also felt the tug of the ocean. As...