They owe the force of their acting to the fact that they express each mass of humanity in turn.

Their child is born.

It does not flourish.

It represents in an acuter way another phase of the same child-struggle with the heat that the gamins indicate in their pursuit of the water-cart.
Then a deeper matter.

The hero represents in a fashion the adventures of the whole Italian race coming to America: its natural southern gayety set in contrast to the drab East Side.