Final answer:
The gray town is sparsely inhabited because it represents the emptiness of materialism, where people are alienated and disconnected from each other and civilization itself.
Step-by-step explanation:
The gray town is sparsely inhabited because it represents the emptiness of materialism. In the given passages, it is described as a world shut down, with empty and dark windows, and a lack of human activity. This suggests that the people in the town are alienated from each other and civilization itself. The town is a symbol of the negative consequences of materialism, where people are disconnected from meaningful human connections and the natural world.