Narrator

The narrator is an unnamed man who lives in a small town in rural Indiana. The narrator never specifies his age, but he seems to be at least middle aged. He spends time writing fiction and poetry. He feels a general sense of melancholy and despair regarding life in the small town. While he acknowledges certain aspects of beauty in the town, he appears depressed by the town’s listlessness, economic decline, and general lack of education in its residents.

The narrator grew up in the Dakota countryside, and while he has fond memories of his childhood, he ultimately seems to view his sense of nostalgia as false and painful. One of the most significant factors of the narrator’s sadness appears to be a sense of romantic misfortune. He lives alone and feels a persistent sense of sadness regarding the fact that he failed to find a...