I stood up. Can a man stand alone, naked, and at his ease, wrist flexed at his side like Michelangelo's David, without assistance, without diversion, without drink, without friends, without a woman, in silence? Yes. It was possible to stand. Nothing happened. I listened. There was no sound: no boats on the river, no trucks on the road, not even cicadas. What if I didn't listen to the news? I didn't. Nothing happened. I realized I had been afraid of silence.
In Walker Percy's "Lancelot," the protagonist experiences a moment of introspection as he stands alone, vulnerable and naked, reflecting on his existence in silence. He contemplates whether it is possible to be at ease in such solitude, likening himself to Michelangelo's David, embodying strength without the distractions of daily life. This moment leads him to realize that he is capable of standing alone without the companionship or noise that often fills...
