In the 1950s, a young unnamed man lived with his mother, a barber, in Kansas City before striking out on his own. He had gotten an education, but had not found it very useful. First he traveled to Omaha, where he thought he could find work, but he did not like working anywhere where he'd have to settle down, thus he was unable to develop any trade skills. When he gets behind on his rent, he has to flee Omaha and begins traveling. He never settles down, going from place to place looking for food and shelter. The only thing he owns is his will to carry on. Over time, he eventually finds some solace in his impoverished state, relying on classical knowledge and wisdom to find a transcendent understanding of human nature and to see himself as part of a tradition of human suffering.