The passage discusses the profound impact of a father's legacy on his son, highlighting the weight of expectations that shape the son's identity. The father, though deceased, casts a long shadow over the son's life, creating an idealized image that the son feels compelled to strive towards. This unattainable perfection becomes a burden, as the son is left to grapple with the absence of a tangible relationship and the reality of his father's flaws, which he cannot acknowledge.

The son is caught in a paradox where the idealized version of his father denies him a sense of connection and understanding. Instead of receiving wisdom or guidance, he mourns the loss of his father's potential influence, feeling deprived of a rightful inheritance that extends beyond material wealth to include the lessons of life. Ultimately, the son is left disillusioned, unable to reconcile the myth of his father with the person he might have known, leading to a sense of isolation and despair in his search for meaning.