The Stranger

The stranger is a man waiting for a train at a deserted station. The first of the two characters in the story, he is a foreigner to the area, as indicated by the switchman's question, "Haven't you been in this country very long?" When he is first introduced, the stranger is out of breath and sweating profusely from the effort of carrying his suitcase. He urgently needs to get to the town of T__ by the next day at the latest, and initially he is dejected at the possibility that he has missed his train. He asks the switchman if the train has already left, and when he first hears the story of the rail system in this anonymous country, he is incredulous and horrified. He questions the switchman methodically, insisting upon the logic that he has purchased a ticket, so he must be able to reach...