æt ðɪ ˈɛnd ʌvðə nˈɑːvəl, ðˌoʊ ɪɾ ɪz ʌnsˈɜːʔn̩ hˌaʊ mˈʌtʃ ʌv wʌt wʌz ɹᵻlˈeɪɾᵻd ˈæktʃuːəli tˈʊk plˈeɪs ɔːɹ hˌaʊ mˈʌtʃ wʌzɐ fˈiːvɚ ɔːɹ dɹˈʌŋkən dɹˈiːm, tˈaʊnɹoʊ kˈʌmz tə bᵻlˈiːv ðˌæɾə sˈɪɾɪzən ɪz nˌɑːt ɹᵻspˈɑːnsᵻbəl fɚðə mɔːɹˈælᵻɾi ʌv hɪz ɡˈʌvɚnmənt ænd hɐz ˈoʊnli hɪmsˈɛlf ænd hɪz ˈoʊn ˈækʃənz tʊ ˈænsɚ fɔːɹ.
At the end of the novel, though it is uncertain how much of what was related actually took place or how much was a fever or drunken dream, Townrow comes to believe that a citizen is not responsible for the morality of his government and has only himself and his own actions to answer for.