The Pillowman

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of graphic violence (including police brutality), murder (including child victims), sexual abuse, suicide, ableism, and religious discrimination.

Michal is in an interrogation room alone. He can hear Katurian screaming from the other room, which annoys him. Ariel throws Katurian in the room with Michal and leaves the brothers alone together. Terrified and in pain from being tortured, Katurian is so relieved to see Michal that he latches onto his leg. Michal is completely unbothered by the entire ordeal—he is “[j]ust a bit bored” (27). Katurian questions Michal about Ariel torturing him, as he had heard Michal screaming earlier. Michal responds that the officer didn’t hurt him at all. He simply said whatever Ariel wanted him to, and he screamed only because Ariel told him to. Katurian tells Michal to promise he didn’t murder the three children, and Michal promises he didn’t. Realizing Ariel lied about torturing Michal, Katurian starts to wonder whether anything the officers said is true at all. He wonders whether Michal actually confessed to the murders, or whether the murders even happened. Katurian and Michal both read about the murders of two children in the news, but in the totalitarian state they live in, the news is controlled by the police.