The speaker is a working-class individual waiting in a long, wet line for a job. He is subjected to the harsh realities of economic hardship, waiting for hours simply for a chance at employment. He harbors deep, unexpressed affection for his family members, though the physical and emotional exhaustion of his circumstances makes it difficult to voice his feelings openly.

The brother is a blue-collar laborer who endures grueling night shifts at a Cadillac factory. Despite the heavy weight of his eight-hour factory shifts, he strives to maintain his passions. He sacrifices sleep to wake up before noon, dedicating his meager free time to studying German so he can sing Wagnerian opera.

This unnamed man waits patiently in the rain for the possibility of employment. Because his vision is obscured by the weather, the speaker initially mistakes this man for his own relative. He possesses narrower shoulders than the brother but shares a similar posture of stubborn refusal to yield to the brutal conditions of the working class.