The above quote is from Leo Tolstoy's novel "Resurrection," a book that, in the timeline of Red Wheelbarrow, currently resides on Elliot's desk in Jail.

The quote points to the true dilemma that Elliot (Rami Malek) faces:

The battle between E2 and Mr. Robot is not (no matter how much he protests) a battle for supremacy or existence, it is an internal battle over life-strategy.

Will E-Prime become a "Spiritual Man" or will E-Prime become an animal man?

For most of us, we carry out this ongoing battle with our own internal voices (representing our disparate desires) on the inside of our heads. Elliot sees his internal voice/s. Elliot has put the face and voice of his dead Father (Edward Alderson) on the "personality" defending his own Animal Man.

Will E-Prime re-engage in the kinds of behaviors that hurt E-Corp but left millions of people broke and without the means to continue (Saving the World) or will he start trying to authentically connect with people and make progress towards a life where everyone he cares about can exist together and celebrate whatever world they have?

Will E-Prime take out his rage and focus his narcissism on E-Corp (Save the World) or will he focus on connection, intimacy, and mental health (Save Himself)?

In an earlier passage in Red Wheelbarrow, Elliot sees himself trapped in a space both with his friends but also somehow unable to authentically interact with them. During Season 2, Elliot imagines a utopia where he can enjoy a meal in peace and in joyous connection with everyone that he cares about. These are the dreams of the Spiritual Man Elliot Alderson (E2), and Five/Nine and Stage Two are the progeny of the Animal Man Elliot Alderson (represented in arguments by Mr. Robot).

To date, E2 has tried boring Mr. Robot to death, using regimentation to get rid of him, using Adderall to get rid of him, inducing violence to get rid of him, heck even playing chess to get rid of him, and now, as June 4th gets underway in the diary, he is trying anger now (yes, I realize I was jumping around a bit in the timeline there...apologies).

This is a stunning, and ironic, example of Elliot's narcissism in action.

Anger is what really started this whole ball rolling.

Anger is at the core of the Five/Nine hack and is really at the core of the entire plan to take down E-Corp. "Save the World" is the happy face Elliot puts on the mask of what was really an attempt to avenge his Father's death.

Unresolved anger is at the core of why he fetishizes his Father's death despite never truly addressing or resolving his incredible rage towards Edward (for looking the other way while Darlene was abused and for pushing him out a window).

Unresolved anger IS part of why Mr. Robot (Christian Slater) exists. On the one hand, Mr. Robot exists to do the "wet work" for Elliot (and to take the beatings) but on the other hand, Mr. Robot represents Elliot's animal man (his reservoir of unresolved fury).

So, Elliot sits in the cafeteria staring at Santos, trying to communicate his hatred right through Santos' being. This seems like an attempt at almost Hitlerian "Triumph of the Will" in which the so-called "Hero" can make anything happen simply through the assertion of superior (and correct) willpower. Through applying his anger with focus, Elliot believes that he will destroy Santos and Mr. Robot ("It is the only way out of this," he says).

But anger doesn't get rid of Mr. Robot, and how could it?

Perception = Elliot and Mr. Robot are in a fight over the Elliot body

Reality = Elliot is ethically conflicted about if he should continue his "work" or work on his mental health.

Anyway, one of Santos goons (or, Mr. Robot) "comes up behind" Elliot working in the latrines and pushes his head into the toilet (which Elliot says is still full of poo, very unlikely, people in jail take bathroom etiquette very seriously and almost everyone in jail or prison is a germaphobe...In other words, people like to have clean bathrooms and almost always flush).

And while we are speaking of unlikely Jail occurrences...

Reynaldo The Rat, Meet Elliot