Cold (symbol)
Cold is a symbol of animosity. The protagonist suffers from a “shivery cold,” cursing his luck. He doesn’t only curse his luck but “the plane” that brought him “to this harsh terrain.” No matter how warmly he dresses up or how much alcohol he consumes, the man always feels “cold.” For now, “hunger” and “cold” are his biggest enemies. His reaction to it can be explained by his inability to find his place in this country. The man can’t get used to it, living in the past, which is the reason why he notices only cold weather.
A cockroach (allegory)
A cockroach is an allegory of a thief. The narrator constantly repeats that he is “a cockroach,” and he isn't even afraid to share this fact about himself with his therapist. The interesting thing is that the protagonist doesn’t only think that he is “a cockroach”, he lives like one. He can “tolerate filth,” he can deal with “hunger,” it seems that this man can survive any disaster. Just like the cockroach, he gets into other people’s houses, eats their food, sleeps in their beds, and leaves when he wants. His wish to “escape the permanence of the sun” is one more common feature that he shares with cockroaches.
Trying to adjust
The protagonist had tried to make a life for himself in the new country but he failed spectacularly. After an unsuccessful suicide attempt, everything went wrong. According to his therapist, the man had “a lot of hidden anger.” She constantly asked him various questions such as: “And how do you feel about that?” Finally he “burst out” and told her what he wanted to hide: he was “a cockroach.” How would a human/cockroach adjust to new surroundings? The protagonist proved that it wasn’t an easy task.
