why does montag appear as a ''statue on a pedestal'' while standing on the chair

Montag stands on the chair, and for a few brief moments it's almost as if he's not sure whether he'll complete his task or walk away.

He took hold of a straight-backed chair and moved it slowly and steadily into the hall near the front door and climbed up on it and stood for a moment like a statue on a pedestal, his wife standing under him, waiting. Then he reached up and pulled back the grille of the air-conditioning system and reached far back inside to the right and moved still another sliding sheet of metal and took out a book.