Capitalism and Dehumanization
The Flivver King tracks the rise of Henry Ford’s automobile industry from the late 1890s to the mid-1930s in Detroit, Michigan. The story is told through the lens of two men’s lives: Henry Ford himself, and Abner Shutt, a fictional worker in one of Henry Ford’s plants. While the growth of the automobile industry brings some prosperity to the workers and the magnate alike, gradually this new fortune corrodes the humanity of everyone…
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American Idealism and Disillusionment
Initially, the main characters in The Flivver King are idealistic. Henry Ford is an optimistic engineer who wants to improve Americans’ lives by providing people with a more efficient means of transportation, paying his workers well, and protecting American values like freedom, opportunity, and the idea that hard work can earn prosperity. Abner Shutt, meanwhile, is a loyal worker who wants to achieve the American Dream of working hard to provide greater opportunity and…
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Misinformation, Media Bias, and Ignorance
Information and the news are crucial aspects of The Flivver King. Early on, Henry Ford recognizes the power of controlling the narrative around his business and his personal life. Many characters in the novel rely solely on the press to help them understand economic and political issues. As such, Ford tries to shape the news, taking over a newspaper called the Dearborn Independent. However, Sinclair exposes the press’s dishonesty and bias, and how…
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Individualism vs. Unionization
In addition to critiquing capitalism, The Flivver King explores the benefits of the labor movement and unionization. The book was so important to the labor movement that the United Auto Workers (UAW) published the book in 1937 in an attempt to convince Ford’s employees to unionize; the Ford Motor Company subsequently entered a collective bargaining agreement with the UAW in 1941. In the book, Sinclair shows how little power individual employees like Abner Shutt have…
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Technology and Progress
Henry Ford’s success centers on the advent of two machines: the car and the assembly line belt. Both are revolutionary concepts that significantly affect the workplace and society at large. Yet while each has its advantages in terms of mobility and efficiency, each also has drawbacks. Thus, Sinclair illustrates that while technology and progress is important, it is not unilaterally positive, particularly because it often exacerbates issues that society’s poorest members face.
First…
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