When the Bishop sees his mother again after so many years, he is upset that she seems to feel "constrained" in his presence; she is, evidently, not sure whether to treat him as her son or a bishop. She is torn somewhere between treating him familiarly and formally, and though her voice is affectionate, he is bothered by her lack of demonstrative maternal feeling toward him. He feels he does not recognize her with "that respectfulness, that timid expression of face" that she now shows him. In fact, when he recalls being out of town, visiting another bishop, he remembers that he'd felt "Everyone was timid in his presence," even priests. He felt, then, that "not one person had spoken to him genuinely, simply, as to a human being," and now his mother's behavior toward him reminds him of this as well.

When the Bishop remembers his childhood, he thinks of it in such a positive way, as something that was truly precious, and it is "always fondly remembered." He remembers his hometown of Lesopolye and many of the people there, and even though he recalls people's faults as well, he is quick to remember their kindnesses. He recalls a religious festival and the joy he felt when he was possessed of "naive faith, with a naive smile" and was "infinitely happy." Now, as an adult, the Bishop feels that he is at an emotional distance from others, being somewhat isolated by his position within the church. His body deteriorates, and he becomes ill. He has a hard time turning off his brain and has to try to stop thinking at times. Adulthood is much more fraught than childhood ever was.

He fondly recalls how "tender and sympathetic" his mother had been to him in his youth, and he seems to long for this tenderness and sympathy now. He is most bothered that his mother treats him so formally. He feels "'oppresse[d]'" by his position of authority and wishes, especially in his final illness, to be taken care of. Ultimately, she does call him her "'darling son'" and her "'own,'" just as he has determined that he will be "free [...] as a bird" in death. Though Bishop Pyotr is an accomplished and highly respected public figure, his continued desire for maternal affection suggests that humans naturally crave parental affection. In the tradition of the Christian church, both God and priests are referred to as "father," and are viewed as paternal figures. The bishop, who has an even higher station than a priest, is therefore cast as a paternal figure to his own mother, undermining the traditional relationship between parent and child. In becoming an envoy of God, the Bishop has become a spiritual father to his community, thus estranging himself from ever being regarded as a child in need of care.