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The Man in Lower Ten · Theme
Class, Wealth, and Social Standing
How The Man in Lower Ten develops Class, Wealth, and Social Standing.
The story contrasts the comfortable, prosaic life of the lawyer-narrator with the desperate motives of poorer characters like Sullivan, whose marriage to an heiress is thwarted by her wealthy father.
Where it surfaces
- I Go to Pittsburg
The contrast between the wealthy John Gilmore, a millionaire industrialist, and the gritty industrial landscape of Pittsburg highlights themes of class and prosperity.
- XXX: Finer Details
Sullivan's fall from grace—from marriage to an heiress to doing 'dirty work' for Bronson—highlights class anxiety.