It's been a while since we've seen the narrator, and now that he's alone, he can't help but wonder why he feels so exhausted. He tells his mother that everything in the city is beautiful, but that the people aren't as beautiful as his mother. He wonders if his mother could be there, too, since she's so beautiful. He's not sure why, but it's clear that he doesn't want his mother to be there. He asks his mother if she knows where the library is, and she tells him that she does, but he can never figure out how to get there.