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
Though Abner’s wages go up, prices and rents are also increasing. Abner and Milly decide to buy a home, but real estate prices have doubled since the bonus announcement. Some of Ford’s associates knew about the bonus and bought land to sell at a higher price. It seems the one person who got what he wanted out of the bonus was Henry Ford, who has become America’s number one employer. He has his pick of the best labor, and rarely has to fire anyone because they are so keen to keep their jobs.
Sinclair starts to reveal some of the issues with the capitalist system. Just as Ford is trying to increase his profits, the landlords and shop owners are as well. Thus, even though Abner is getting a bonus, he is essentially as poor as he was before, and those who do not receive the bonus are even worse off. Sinclair also illustrates the corruption in America’s institutions, as Ford’s associates used the information about the bonus to take advantage of the situation and make a profit at the expense of the home sellers and buyers who did not have that information.
Themes
