The Glass of Milk

“Leaning on the starboard rail, the sailor seemed to be waiting for someone. In his left hand he held a white paper wrapping, with grease stains in several places.”

To introduce the story, the narrator reveals the presence of a sailor who, similar to the protagonist, partakes in a labor-intensive occupation. He intends to share the fruits of his labor—in this case, a warm meal—with another fellow worker, demonstrating solidarity and establishing the story’s anti-capitalist themes in the first paragraph. The grease stains on the white paper wrapping are indicative of the story’s realist style; details meant to provide texture to the story.

“Not a moment later, a real vagabond, dressed in unbelievable rags, with big broken shoes, a long blonde beard and blue eyes, passed in front of the sailor.”

This quote juxtaposes the vagabond’s condition to the young man’s—while the young man is reserved, the vagabond bears all of the hallmarks of poverty. While they are foils, both must appear poor to make the sailor offer them food, hinting that their circumstances are not so different.

“A port beggar may not know English, but he would never forgive himself for not knowing enough of it to ask for food to a person who speaks that language.”

This sentence speaks to the difficulties brought about by being a “vagabond.” The port is an international place where many languages are spoken, and a working-class local might not be able to communicate. However, this quote also shows cunning—these men can learn enough to get what they need. Their identities are formed by their circumstances.