When Doug observes, “there wasn’t a single thing in the world that cared at all,” it shows that he believes the bird to be isolated. The extreme language he uses to describe the bird--“terrified” and “beautiful”--shows that he is deeply affected by the image of the bird’s situation. Furthermore, the immediacy of his reaction and his instant decision that the bird is “falling,” both suggest that what he observes to be true about the tern may be how he feels about his own life. By using “falling,” which indicates a lack of control, Doug infers that the Tern is helpless and, therefore, that he feels a similar lack of control about his own life. Doug is scared and alone, which is why he feels so helpless, like the tern. He reflects, “But I couldn’t