The puzzle symbolizes life, the madman symbolizes passion, and the death of the woman is caused by letting her passion overcome her. This story explains Neil’s existence and his suicide.
In the end, Neil realized that it was his own life and he was in the center of it. Since his dad had control over him and he was too afraid to stand up to him, before the madman could break in the window and overtake him, he let the madman in as a last attempt at controlling his own life. His passion was acting in his puzzle of life.
As he put the last pieces of his puzzle together, he contributed his verse (Puck’s soliloquy in a Midsummer Night’s Dream). The last pieces were father’s ruling over him and with no more pieces left, he left the madman in the window before it was broken (meaning he killed himself before his passion killed him.) He felt he couldn’t live according to his father’s wishes, and the only way out was to kill himself. As Knox Oberstreet stated, “Carpe Diem, even if it kills me.”
Neil’s Last Four Pieces
1.The scene with Neil and his father at Henley Hall.
2.Mr. Perry’s comments for Keating to stay away from his son after the play.
3.Mr. Perry’s speech to Neil about how he will not tolerate Neil’s passion for acting and that Neil will be transferring to military school.
4.Neil’s putting on his Puck costume and opening the window to let the madman inside, which led to his suicide.