The protagonist grapples with grief and the concept of his father's existence after his death. His mother suggests that his father's spirit remains, which triggers anger in the boy, who insists that his father was made up of physical cells, now scattered throughout the city. This perspective illustrates his struggle to understand loss and the tangible reality of death, highlighting a conflict with his mother's more spiritual view of remembrance.

This conversation points to deeper themes of memory and identity. The boy acknowledges that while his father's physical presence is gone, his memories persist in his mind. However, he seems to reject the idea of a spirit, focusing instead on how his father's essence has become part of the environment. This reflects a child's attempt to make sense of death through rationality, contrasting emotional connections with a scientific understanding of life and loss.