Once the shirtless man appears, and is eroticized by the other characters, creating sexual and dramatic tension, it's clear that he'll change the landscape and lives of at least one person. Which he does. The conclusion could not be reached without his arrival, his interaction, and the resulting cascade of epiphanies. This is in the tradition of, say, Hal Carter in Picnic, and in this tale, from plot functionary terms alone, he has the same general impact. This is hardly a criticism, only a comment that Baker - considering her reputation for being a stylistic iconoclast - resorts to the same (here very much needed) conventions as other dramatists, not offering a merely meditative observation on her theme.