Amalfitano's act of hanging a geometry book by Rafael Dieste on a clothesline serves as a potent symbol of the intersection between logic and absurdity. This surreal gesture represents his struggle to find meaning and stability in the chaotic and violent environment of Santa Teresa. The book, exposed to the elements and gradually deteriorating, mirrors Amalfitano's own mental unraveling and the futility of intellectual pursuits in a world indifferent to reason. It highlights the tension between the desire for knowledge and the inevitability of decay, encapsulating the existential dilemmas faced by the characters in the novel.

Boris Ansky's diaries symbolize the haunting persistence of history and memory. As records of Ansky's life in the avant garde circles of the 1920s Soviet Union, the diaries serve as a testament to the endurance of human brilliance and the quest for understanding in...