CL+Deconstructionist+Lens-Per+1

Paulus Eysendyck killed his child because of his pride and large ego. This story taps into one of the basic human natures of maintaining a reputation. This is displayed when he sees the child and states, "I feel like killing myself." (Gordimer 71). However, he went ahead and killed the child, as opposed to himself, because he could not bare to deal with losing his place in society. Ultimately, he felt all alone because he could not meet his own standards, making him feel like he couldn't meet others' standards. The child was the only threat to his social status, therefore, the simplest solution was to poison it.