Summary

Homeless, p. 50 – 90. Present tense narration describes the awkwardness of Tomas’ initial attempts to get the car going; his journeys through small towns (in which the curious residents tend to slow him down, sometimes even blocking him); and his growing joy in discovering nature as he passes, and his occasionally stops. Narration also describes how he sleeps in the well-stocked rear compartment of the car; how he spends his down-time learning more and more about the car’s workings; and how eventually, he realizes that he’s moving too slowly. Tomas also realizes that moving faster is up to him; only he can make the decision to change the car’s gear and get it to move more quickly. He finally makes the choice, and the car moves more rapidly ahead.

For Tomas, both memories and current readings of Ulisses’ diary trigger contemplations and...