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
Ford’s son, Edsel, has four children who will inherit Ford’s vast empire. Ford worries constantly about gangsters abducting his grandchildren and holding them for ransom, thinking, “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” Ford relies on Harry Bennett to guard the children and investigate anyone who is a part of his security team. The more protective measures he takes, the more Ford realizes how much his billion dollars is taking control of his life.
In this chapter, the novel emphasizes how capitalism and Ford’s intense desire for wealth has robbed him of happiness and humanity. This quote, from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2, suggests that Ford has attained the wealth and power of a king, but with it, he has become plagued by anxiety and insecurity.
Themes
