"When a person hasn’t in him that which is higher and stronger than all external influences, it is enough for him to catch a good cold in order to lose his equilibrium and begin to see an owl in every bird, to hear a dog’s bark in every sound."
The professor realizes too late that he has never adapted a belief in something meaningful in his life, so as he ages he regrets nearly everything. When he starts to become ill, he convinces himself that he is worse off than he actually is, becoming more ill as a result. His sense of meaning has been compromised in light of his imminent death.
"'Why did you marry me into this family, mother?' said Lipa.
'One has to be married, daughter. It was not us who ordained it.'"
Lipa's parents promised her to Petrovitch's eldest son because they were tempted by his promises of wealth. She loves her fiance, but she soon is made miserable by her future mother-in-law who opposes the marriage for the same reasons Lipa's parents support it. Caught in between, Lipa is told to do what she's told.
"If I were asked to chose between execution and life in prison I would, of course, chose the latter. It’s better to live somehow than not at all."
In an argument with his friend the banker, the lawyer adamantly opposes capital punishment. He does not believe that the government has the right to take someone's life. Better to place that man in a controlled environment in which to live out his days without hurting others. Little does the man know that he's going to know firsthand whether he really believes what he's saying or not.
"Why do I love him so much, mamma? Why do I feel so sorry for him?" she went on in a quivering voice, and her eyes glistened with tears. "Who is he? What is he like? As light as a little feather, as a little crumb, but I love him; I love him like a real person. Here he can do nothing, he can't talk, and yet I know what he wants with his little eyes."
Upon meeting her future husband, Lipa becomes enamored with him. She recognizes a certain innocence and vulnerability in him which she's more than happy to protect. She wants a lover whom she can control, so she's overcome by how perfect a match he seems.
