Cincinnatus C.

Cincinnatus C. is a prisoner sentenced to death. His crime is not something he's done, but instead a condition of his being. Cincinnatus is introverted, focusing constantly on some internalized idea of the soul, heaven, and humanity. Everything surrounding Cincinnatus in the world seems false and illusory.

Without realizing, Cincinnatus has power over the world around him. As if he exists in a dream, Cincinnatus mentally controls the illusions that surround him. As a child, Cincinnatus walks out of a window and hangs in the air, defying gravity. His own hopes and fears seem to actualize into events. When he imagines Emmie coming to save him, she performs a (deceptive) rescue attempt. The deceptiveness of this attempt reflects Cincinnatus's ingrained belief that he cannot escape his imprisonment.

Because of Cincinnatus's power over the world, his imprisonment is a self-imprisonment. His condemnation is a self-condemnation. The society imposes...