Social Class and Inequality

The book contrasts the lives of the wealthy (Goldweiser, Baldwin) with the poor and struggling (Bud, the Italian immigrant, the old man on the stoop), highlighting the vast divides and the brutal struggle for survival in the metropolis.

Bud's worn shoes and clothes mark him as lower class; the lunch counter man advises him to look presentable; Ed Thatcher and Mr. Zucher discuss money and the cost of raising children.

The tenement fire traps the poor; Marco preaches anarchist revolution against capitalist oppression; the sailors discuss class and opportunity.

Ellen's question about wealth, the poverty of the sailor and Bud, and Baldwin's disdain for the 'low Irish and foreigners' in the West Side all highlight class divisions and economic disparity.

The Merivale dinner conversation reveals deep class and ethnic prejudices, while Ed Thatcher's financial gamble reflects the precariousness of middle-class life.