find some answers, he is losing his life and his career. Too much of his time isspent pondering and searching for objects, that any hope of regaining ground as apolitician are disappearing before his eyes. As he alienates himself from society, so healienates himself from his objects, still unable to connect the concealed truth hidden withinthem. John is very mislead in his search for objects, for he started looking too deeplyinto them when the truth they held was right there staring at him. The last piece hediscovers, a piece of iron resembling a meteorite reflects the absolute loss John hassuffered. “[A]lien to earth,” John also is more alienated towards himself than he wasbefore he began this journey. The narrator adds that the iron “radiates” cold much likeJohn has become cold and life-less, completely preoccupied and consumed with hisobsession. This was a very difficult time for John because he struggled with every effortto unlock the truth within these objects, but he was unable to. Still thinking the next onemay be the key, he is convinced that there must be others. If only he had taken theopportunity to take the obvious, simple truths the objects held could he have salvaged hislife and his work. The child in him wanted to, however his beliefs in society taught himotherwise. They taught him that in order to unlock the truth he needed more and he keptlooking for more, though many never met his expectations. At the end of the story, Johnis so consumed that he takes on the identity of the iron, radiating cold and alone, lost to aworld obsessed with trash.Tragically, in the conclusions of both stories, Mathilde and John were left worseoff the they began because they let their obsessions take control of their lives. Mathildethrew away her youth and beauty, left to face the dark and harsh reality of misery. Johnleft behind a brilliant career to search for meaning that he could not grasp. Unable to...
