from his wife He feels that he has lost control over his own life This loss of identity is an important existential problem Wilhelm feels like a stranger in his own world Through him Bellow shows how modern society forces people to live by others expectations not by their own true selves Loneliness and Emotional Isolation Wilhelm lives in the same hotel as his father Dr Adler But still feels completely alone His father is proud selfish and unwilling to help Wilhelm desperately needs his father s help and says What do I expect I expect help But his father does not provide any financial or emotional support Wilhelm s wife also only wants money from him Nobody gives him love or understanding This emotional isolation makes Wilhelm feel empty inside Bellow uses this loneliness to show how modern American society has become cold and self-centered This shows the human need for connection which existential thinkers say is missing in modern life Materialism and False Values Another major problem in the novel is materialism Everyone around Wilhelm values money more than emotion or morality Dr Adler is respected because he is rich and successful Even Dr Tamkin who pretends to be a philosopher cheats Wilhelm for money The narrator says Everyone was supposed to have money They d be ashamed not to have it This shows how deeply society is ruled by materialism In such a world people are ashamed if they do not look wealthy This world of money and lies makes Wilhelm feel lost He invests in the stock market hoping to solve his problems but he only loses more Wilhelm s failure shows that the pursuit of material success cannot give peace or meaning to life The Search for Meaning and Self-Understanding Throughout the story Wilhelm struggles to understand who he is and what life really means By the end when he breaks down at a stranger s funeral he finally accepts his own emotions He sank deeper than sorrow toward the consummation of his heart's ultimate need This breakdown is not only sadness but also spiritual awakening He realizes that he cannot escape from his own self He must accept life as it is with pain failure and truth In this way Bellow shows that the solution to existential problems comes only when a person faces reality honestly and finds meaning through inner understanding In conclusion Saul Bellow presents the deep existential problems of modern American life loss of identity loneliness materialism and the search for meaning Through Tommy Wilhelm s pain and awakening Bellow shows that real life cannot be measured by wealth or success True freedom and peace come only when one dares to face life s truth and in his own way learns to seize the day