Homo Sum — Volume 04

The volume follows members of a household and their wider circle as tensions among personal passion, artistic vocation, and religious duty intensify. A young sculptor, Polykarp, becomes consumed by the image of a married woman and models a likeness to master his obsession, prompting his mother, Dorothea, to accuse him of idolatry and moral failing. Episodes alternate close scenes of craftsmanship and inner turmoil with conversations that test filial loyalty and ethical convictions. The narrative examines how aesthetic impulses clash with communal expectations and explores the compromises and explanations characters offer to justify desire, creativity, and duty.