The young man walks by himself, fast but not fast enough, far but not far enough {faces slide out of sight, talk trails into tattered scraps, footsteps tap fainter in alleys}; he must catch the last subway, the streetcar, the bus, run up the gangplanks of all the steamboats, register at all the hotels, work in the cities, answer the wantads, learn the trades, take up the jobs, live in all the boardinghouses, sleep in all the beds. One bed is not enough, one job is not enough, one life is not enough. At night, head swimming with wants, he walks by himself alone.
The young man is depicted as a solitary figure in a bustling urban landscape, moving quickly but feeling inadequate in his pace and distance. He rushes to catch various forms of transportation, navigating through a city life filled with fleeting interactions and fading sounds. His journey reflects a broader search for fulfillment, as he hurriedly pursues his ambitions amidst the anonymity of the streets.
Driven by a sense of urgency and a longing for more, he recognizes that one job, one bed, or one life isn't sufficient to satisfy his desires. As night falls, he finds himself alone, grappling with his aspirations and the weight of his unfulfilled wants. This emphasizes the struggle of seeking meaning in a transient world, where connections are temporary and true satisfaction remains elusive.
