Final answer:
Arsat's statement, 'I can see nothing,' reflects his deep grief and spiritual blindness after Diamelen's death, indicating a future devoid of meaning. The white man's reply, 'There is nothing,' suggests existential emptiness and the reduction of life's experiences and relationships to nothingness in the face of death.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the statements following Diamelen's death, Arsat's remark, "I can see nothing," and the white man's reply, "There is nothing," both characters are expressing a sense of loss and existential emptiness. Arsat's comment suggests that after Diamelen's death, he is enveloped by a profound darkness that blinds him, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. The lack of vision signifies the totality of his grief and the obliteration of his future without Diamelen. Meanwhile, the white man's response, "There is nothing," echoes existential themes, indicating that in death, all of Arsat's aspirations, struggles, and even Diamelen herself are reduced to nothingness. This bleak outlook reflects a world stripped of meaning and hope in the wake of loss. Such interpretation aligns with existentialist perspectives widely explored in literature, where characters grapple with the absence of intrinsic purpose, highlighting the human struggle to find or create meaning in an indifferent universe.