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Chapter 3
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Careless People, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Carelessness, Wealth, and Greed
Idealism and the Failed Promises of Technology
Sexism in the Workplace
Bureaucracy and Obstacles to Change
Summary
Analysis
Wynn-Williams tries to prepare so that things go better for the next meeting, this time with the German minister of consumer protection. Germany has some of the strongest laws about protecting personal information in the world. When the Germans arrive at the D.C. office, they are baffled at how the office building still looks like it’s under construction with exposed pipes. Wynn-Williams tries to explain that it’s a deliberate choice to fit Facebook’s aesthetic.
Seeing Facebook through the eyes of foreign visitors helps Wynn-Williams realize how strange some of Facebook’s workplace culture is. This passage also shows how after a comparatively short amount of time, Wynn-Williams has begun to identify more with Facebook than with the visitors, showing how she has adapted.
Active
Themes
During introductions with the Germans, Marne ends by saying that she’s Jewish. When things go quiet, she clarifies that she didn’t bring this up because of the Holocaust, which only makes things more awkward. The delegation is interested in discussing content moderation on Facebook, but Marne makes broad generalizations about Germans that continue the awkwardness. After the delegation leaves, Marne can sense that Wynn-Williams is disappointed with how it went, but Wynn-Williams doesn’t say much. A few weeks later, Germany launches an investigation into Facebook.
Active
Themes
