What I interpreted, is that the protagonist is stifled by those surrounding him, and has contempt for those in authority who are implied as being corrupt. I also think this character considers it pointless to try and "escape" his current situation since neither extreme, represented metaphorically as "life or death", e.g. conformity or rejection is appealing.
What I interpreted, is that the protagonist is stifled by those surrounding him, and has contempt for those in authority who are implied as being corrupt. I also think this character considers it pointless to try and "escape" his current situation since neither extreme, represented metaphorically as "life or death", e.g. conformity or rejection is appealing.