The black monk (Symbol)
The black monk stands here as a symbol of our inner essence, that part of our soul, where we hide our most secret thoughts and wishes. We see him as a kind of legend and mystery, he seems to be not real, but we see as well that the hero can’t be happy and really live without this mystery part of himself.
Kovrin’s genius (Symbol)
The hero symbolizes here that kind of people, who are broken with the strength of their inner genius. They are wise enough to be not satisfied with everyday, common life. They are always in some search: of something better, more interesting and more rational. As for the hero, he finds his “remission” in his illusions that make him die at the end.
Motif of illness
Through the entire story we see the increasing of the main hero’s illness, and therewith, we see the growth of general depression of other heroes and events. First we see the main hero having a light malaise, then he meets the ghost (the proof of the strengthening of his state), and at the end he dies because of his illness. This motif helps the author to show more vividly the characters, their mood, and atmosphere in the story.
