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
In the backseat of the limousine, Ford tells Clara that their hosts probably just wanted money from him, but Clara tells him not to be so cynical. He says that the dancing was nice, but he laments that they’ve probably switched to jazz now that he’s left. As they pass through a stretch of land, they see a woman (Dell) staggering towards the road to intercept them and ask for help, but the limo swerves out of the way and Ford barely notices her. Clara tells Ford that he should be happy, as he’s done a great deal of good in the world. “The Flivver King” replies that he doesn’t know if anybody can do any good in the world.
The final chapter puts a final point on both Ford’s journey and the book’s critique of the capitalist system. Ford has completely lost his ideals and is now a miserable, cynical “king” who cares only about maintaining wealth and power. This comes at the cost of caring about those below him like Tom and Dell, who are also dehumanized by the capitalist system—literally beaten down for trying to organize. This also emphasizes the need for unionization; Tom as a single person cannot fight Ford, but with the power of a collective the workers can overcome this brutalizing force. And lastly, even Ford recognizes that the current economic system may not actually work. In acknowledging that he’s not sure if anyone can do any good in the world, Ford emphasizes that it might be time for a change to an economic system that can do some good.
Themes
