Fifteen-year-old Karl Rossmann arrives in New York Harbor, catching sight of the Statue of Liberty. As he is about to disembark from the Hamburg-America line, he realizes he forgot his umbrella. He asks an acquaintance to watch his luggage and goes below deck to search for it. He gets lost on the huge ship but eventually runs into a German stoker who tells him that both his acquaintance and his suitcase are likely long gone.

Karl avoids telling the stoker why he came to America. The stoker complains about how his boss, a Romanian man named Schubal, treats him. Karl recalls the things in his lost suitcase, including a suit and a Verona salami: He regrets losing the salami more than the suit because he rationalizes that he is already wearing his best suit.

Karl demands that the stoker’s grievances be heard. The captain wants to listen, but the chief cashier dislikes the stoker and tries to tarnish his reputation. The stoker launches into a litany of complaints about Schubal. Karl tries to intervene and help the stoker state his responses more “clearly and simply” (14), but this offends him and he begins to argue with Karl.

A man with a bamboo cane asks Karl who he is.