It took me till I was lying among the Rats and Vermin, upon the freezing edge of a Future invisible, to understand that my name had never been my own,- rather belonging, all this time, to the Authorities, who forbade me to change it, or withhold it, as 'twere a Ring upon the Collar of a Beast, ever waiting for the Lead to be fasten'd on. . . .
The quote reflects a profound realization of identity and autonomy. The narrator's experience of being in a grim situation leads to an understanding that their name was never truly theirs but rather a label imposed by external authorities. This metaphor of a collar signifies how societal forces control and define individuals, stripping away their personal agency.
This realization occurs in a desolate and oppressive context, highlighting the struggle against dehumanization. The imagery of Rats and Vermin conveys a sense of abandonment and loss, underscoring the weight of a name that serves as a constraint rather than a source of identity. Ultimately, the passage emphasizes the conflict between personal freedom and societal control.
