Answer:
The lines from the story “there’s a man in the habit of hitting me on the head with an umbrella” gives the impression that the umbrella may not exist outside the narrator's imagination are:
"As far as I can tell, he has never either slept or eaten anything. His sole activity consists of hitting me. He is with me in everything I do, even in my most intimate activities."
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is not complete since it does not provide the options to answer it, here are the options:
a.) "I don’t know his name. I know he’s average in appearance, wears a gray suit, is graying at the temples, and has a common face. I met him five years ago one sultry morning. I was sitting on a tree-shaded bench in Palermo Park, reading the paper."
b.) "After a few moments of indecision, and seeing that he was not about to change his attitude, I stood up and punched him in the nose. The man fell down, and let out an almost inaudible moan."
c.) "That’s why I slowed down to a walk. I looked at him. There was no trace of either gratitude or reproach on his face. He merely kept hitting me on the head with the umbrella."
d.) "As far as I can tell, he has never either slept or eaten anything. His sole activity consists of hitting me. He is with me in everything I do, even in my most intimate activities."
This lines in option D give the hint that not only the umbrella does not exist but also the man carrying the umbrella is the result of the imagination of the narrator as a way to apply self-punishment to whatever is in his mind or as a result of everything that he is and represents, it could also represent a constant and annoying conscience inside of his brain.