This novel excerpt focuses on Marshall, a musical prodigy, coming of age during the year of 1925, and seven years later, reflecting on the events. The piece focuses not only on the death of innocence for a young adult, but also the last golden years of New York City before the Depression, juxtaposed against the last golden age of the circus freak show. Thematically, the piece explores the very definition of humanity, and how prescribed boundaries, such as race, gender, or physicality, are put into question, especially when art is concerned. Additionally, the novel asks readers how to depict humanity and human experience through art, specifically music, which acts as a backdrop for the protagonist's experiences and informs how he sees the world. Grappling with the first awakenings of death, sexuality, the need for family, and himself as an artist, the protagonist begins viewing New York City and the circus differently, allowing for subtle observations about the impending darkness of the Depression. Therefore, the novel provides a dual awakening, of a change in self and society.