Alcohol.

"It was a financial tragedy that sleep sobered Bolden up completely, that his mind on waking was clear as an empty road and he began to casually drink again although he never hard now for he played in the evenings" (Pg. 13).

A repetitive cycle, Bolden was an alcoholic. He depended on a beverage to be able to fulfill his everyday duty. Clarity was not an option for Bolden, he feared emptiness and found himself complete once he was under the influence of alcohol.

It was part of his act, to be away from reality, facing life under a substance's influence and not through his own experience and thoughts.

The fact that he did not drink as much during the evenings gives us an insight of the importance of music to Bolden. It kept him distracted and away from his everyday life. When he wasn't playing he was drinking. Always keeping himself company with a bottle of liquor. What made him feel complete was his music and alcohol, it kept him away from his own thoughts and responsibilities, which he feared the most.