夢遊學者の話から主人公の父親の健康状態に転じる。夢遊學者が主人公に語った内容は、先生の予言が的中し、主人公が「自我忘失症」に陥っていることを明らかにするものであった。夢遊學者は、脳内の遺伝的な弱点が精神状態に影響を与え、夢遊状態に誘い込まれることで古い記憶が浮かび上がると説明した。これにより、主人公は最近のできごとだけが覚醒しており、過去の記憶が思い出せない状態にあることを理解する。父の病状との類似性に触れ、「自我忘失症」と呟く主人公が物語の前半を形成する。
主人公の父親の健康状態が焦点となる。父は一時回復したかに見えたが、再び卒倒し、医者の指示に従って絶対の安静が求められる。主人公は東京への旅立ちを迷いつつ、母親と相談し出発の日を延期することを決断する。父の病状は安定せず、医者の説明も不十分である。主人公は父の状態を裏書きすることに躊躇するが、父は主人公の心情を察知し、「気の毒だね」と述べながら庭を見つめる。主人公は自分の部屋で行李を見つめ、再び縄を解こうかと考えるが、不安定な気分で数日を過ごす。父の病状は一喜一憂の繰り返しであり、家族はその様子に苦慮している。物語は、主人公が家族とともに父の健康状態に向き合いながら、東京への旅立ちの意欲を喪失していく様子を描いている。
The signs of dreamwalking: Ego-obliviousness and family confrontation.
The story of the dreamwalker turns to the health of the protagonist’s father. The dreamwalker’s story to the protagonist revealed that the doctor’s prophecy had come true and that the protagonist was suffering from “ego-oblivion. The somnambulist explained that a genetic weakness in the brain affects the mental state, and that being lured into a state of somnambulism brings up old memories. This leads the protagonist to understand that only recent events are awakened and that he is unable to recall memories of the past. The first half of the story is formed by the protagonist muttering “ego-oblivion,” referring to the similarity to his father’s medical condition.
The focus of the story is the health of the protagonist’s father. The father seems to have recovered for a time, but then he has a stroke again and must follow the doctor’s orders for absolute bed rest. The protagonist is unsure about leaving for Tokyo, and after consulting with his mother, decides to postpone the departure date. His father’s condition is unstable, and the doctor’s explanations are insufficient. The protagonist hesitates to endorse his father’s condition, but his father senses the protagonist’s feelings and says, “I’m sorry,” as he stares out into the garden. The protagonist spends a few days in his room, staring at the ropes and thinking about untying them again, but in an unstable mood. The family struggles with the father’s condition, which is both happy and sad. The story depicts the protagonist’s loss of motivation to leave for Tokyo as he and his family deal with his father’s health condition.