I need help with stephen Crane?

Question

This quotation is giving me trouble
"One viewed the existence of man then as marvel, and conceded a glamour of wonder to these lice which were caused to cling to a whirling, fire-smitten, ice-locked,disease-stricken, space-lost bulb"
This quote is from "The Blue Hotel" and I dont understand it. Can anyone explain it to me?

Answer 1

1. man then as marvel - before man was great, a marvel. Kind of a foreshadow of a fall from grace.

2. conceded a glamour of wonder - gave them something wonderful. From the reading it seems to me, that it's the planet.

3. these lice - man is parasitic

4. which were caused to cling - compelled to stay, forced to

5. whirling, fire-smitten.... - a description of the world

So to me, it sums to man has so much potential that he does not use. He was given the earth to use to better himself, but instead has decided just to survive. There is no universal thought, but only a wantonness that is insatiable. It also appears to me the author had hopes of better for man, and better for the earth, but neither ideal has been realized.

This is just my opinion and I could be way off.