After the Divorce · Chapter

Epigraph explained

The epigraph quotes St.

What happens

The epigraph quotes St. Luke 18:33-34, foreshadowing suffering and a lack of understanding among those who witness it.

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Story tension across the book.

Costantino reaches his emotional and psychological nadir here, realizing that his heart has "turned black" and…

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Suffering and Resilience
The verse directly references scourging and death, establishing suffering as a central motif.
Injustice and Fate
The prophecy of death and the disciples' incomprehension hint at an inexorable, unjust fate.

“And they shall scourge him, and put him to death;⁠ ⁠… And they understood none of these things:⁠ ⁠… St. Luke 18:33, 34”
They will beat him and kill him, but those around him will not grasp what is happening.
The epigraph sets a tone of impending tragedy and human blindness to it.