As George pushes through the crowds of the County Fair, he does not want to think about his insignificance in the grand scheme of life. Amongst the throngs of people, George is constantly reminded of how insignificant he is. Even though he grew up with the “jam of people” he is surrounded by, George could not feel more alone. The residual melancholy feelings of isolation haunt George, because he now knows that he will never become the “big man” that his young, immature self once believed in. He is ashamed that he once thought he could be of importance in life, when in reality everyone see is insignificant, and there are no exceptions. The insignificance of man is made blatant when Sherwood makes the comparison of George to “merely a leaf,”
