How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #10
Even though there were quite a lot of them, it seemed a lonely place. On the damp, still night air, he could smell poorly tended privies. It wasn't the kind of place he would ever want to live in. (49.13)
When Tom passes through the impoverished Irish Settlement area, he notes that people can be lonely even if they are not technically by themselves. Polly Ann tells him that many Irish immigrants came to the area to work on the canal, but after that they couldn't find jobs. Feeling purposeless, helpless, forsaken, or forgotten can lead to loneliness too. Now that's deep.