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 the rest of the marchers arrive at the town border of Dearborn, which is essentially Ford’s jurisdiction: the mayor is backed by Ford, and the chief of police was a former Ford security officer. Policemen and Ford security guards order the marchers to disperse, and the marchers demand that the police let a group enter the town and present their petition to Ford. Suddenly, some of Ford’s security guards start throwing bombs and shooting at the workers, and a man at Abner’s side collapses with a bullet in his stomach. Abner runs away as fast as he can.
The shooting at Dearborn—known historically as the Ford Hunger March or the Ford Massacre—provides the most shocking example of Ford’s dehumanization. He is so concerned about his profits and preventing his workers from unionizing that he is even willing to have his security kill some of the unemployed workers in order to protect his wealth.
Themes
Abner reads about the rest of the march in the paper: Harry Bennett drove out into the crowd and began firing a revolver; someone threw a rock at his head and sent him to the hospital; immediately, Ford’s security fired a machine-gun into the crowd, wounding 50 men and killing four. Many of the protesters were also arrested, while not a single policeman or security guard was injured.
The story of the rest of the march further emphasizes Ford’s indifference to his workers. His desperation to prevent workers from unionizing led to mass violence in the face of reasonable demands and peaceful protests, illustrating how he is motivated only by his desire to maintain a fortune.
Themes
