Sections 1 - 40 Summary

In Section 1, Soares explains that he has not lost faith in God as have many of the people who live in this time period. He states that he has also not claimed faith in Humanity, the human species, which is a cult that he believes is not worthy of worship. Therefore, Soares indicates that he joins the group of those kept at a distance from things. He describes this distance as decadence. These people, Soares explains, recognize only their sensations as reality. Soares believes these people, like him, do things simply to keep busy.

In Section 2, Soares describes his life as a combination of dreaming and action. In Section 3, Soares describes the sadness he feels as he walks along his street. He draws a parallel between the daytime business of the streets and his own busy activity during the day. It...