The Bent Pyramid (e.g. The Search Result)
Adam's life is like a bent Pyramid. We don't why or how it veered off course. It just did. It will never have the same inclination again. The question he must answer, like the ancient builders themselves, is do you keep on building? Or do you let the little ups and downs of life take hold of your waist and prevent you from putting the final capstone on your work.
This is a good summary of the story. It should be compared and contrasted to other half-finished works as well as works of true perfection. The artist vs the architect. The monk vs the soldier. The search vs the result.