Monk’s question of how far he should take his Stagg R. Leigh character is about whether he will continue to perform the role of Stagg in order to distance himself from a novel he knows his father would disapprove of, or whether he’s willing to assume ownership of that work, break with his father, and become his own person. If Monk continues to play the part of Stagg,
My Pafology continues to be pure performance art, and Monk can continue to deny that any part of that work derives from feelings, thoughts, or ideas he genuinely believes in.