Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Flivver King, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Capitalism and Dehumanization
American Idealism and Disillusionment
Misinformation, Media Bias, and Ignorance
Individualism vs. Unionization
Technology and Progress
Summary
Analysis
Abner and his growing family find a five-room house to rent for $9 a month. It has running water and a toilet inside—something they’ve never had before. Meanwhile, Ford buys a new three story brick factory building entirely with his profits. The space is an upgrade from less than half an acre of space to two and a half acres, and with $250,000 worth of machinery in it. Ford walks around the plant making sure that the men keep up their pace as they move from one spot to another to assemble cars.
During the company’s rise, both Ford and Abner find mutual success, and the novel highlights the similarities between the two men as they simultaneously move into a new space that reflects their success. However, that success is not wholly comparable. While Abner is amazed at the luxury of a toilet inside his home, this is negligible compared to the luxury and wealth that Ford now enjoys. This disparity underscores the fact that Ford is making his fortune without fair payment to the workers who are helping him attain it.
Themes
Soon after buying the new building, Ford goes to Florida to attend an auto race. When a French car gets into an accident, Ford picks up a piece of the wreckage and notices how light the car’s metal is. Ford then decides to only use this alloy for his cars, which would allow the cars to be lighter, stronger, and cheaper. Back in the factory, as the workers assemble the new cars, Ford quotes scripture: “Seest thou a man diligent in his business […] He shall stand before kings.”
Ford continues to try to advance his technology in order to both advantage his consumers and himself in making a lighter, cheaper product. Additionally, Ford’s quoting of a Bible verse (Proverbs 22:29) reflects his high expectation for his employees to work hard. However, it also hints at the inequity between Ford and his workers: if they work hard, they can work for a king (him), but they will not be kings themselves.
Themes
