Art vs. Commerce

The tension between creating art for its own sake and the need to sell work for money and recognition, as seen in Martin's rejection of hackwork and his conflict with magazine editors.

Martin struggles to reconcile his artistic aspirations with the commercial realities of publishing, facing repeated rejections and learning to typewrite to meet editorial expectations.

Martin's struggle to sell his work contrasts his artistic vision with the commercial demands of magazine editors, whom he views as cogs in a machine.

Martin's plan to write hackwork for income while reserving his best efforts for masterpieces highlights the conflict between commercial viability and artistic integrity.

Martin writes for the joy of creation and intellectual clarity, not for publication; his essays are rejected but he persists regardless.