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 sends the letter to Clara without telling his family and continues to look for work in the meantime. After verifying Abner’s history with Ford, an agent comes to the home to verify Abner’s need. The investigator sees that Milly is very sick, as Abner stated, and learns from her that Abner did know Ford personally. As a result, the company hires Abner for two days a week at $8 a day—which sounds like heaven to people who are nearly starving. Abner immediately forgets all his grievances; he believes again that Ford is the greatest and best of men.
While Abner is able to receive great benefit from sending the letter to Clara Ford, he also highlights the problem with individualism. Not every worker is able to gain a job or proper wages in this fashion, demonstrating the need for workers to band together in order to fight for their rights and fair wages. Abner also reveals just how much he has been deprived of basic human rights and needs if he feels lucky to be working for a meager $16 a week.
Themes
