Act 4, Visitors Room Summary

The prisoner and his mother are back again in the visitors room where a guard watches over them. The prisoner has a bloody face and is visibly trembling as he sits near his mother. The guard casually informs mother and son that the rules have changed and they may now speak in their own language.

The prisoner tells his mother that she may speak in mountain language again but the old woman does not utter a sound despite her son's urging. The guard reiterates the new policy that the mountain language is allowed for the time being but still the old woman remains silent.

The prisoner begins to shake more visibly now and falls to the floor gasping and convulsing. Witnessing the prisoner's condition, the sergeant says only that despite his own attempts to go out of his way...