Money and Social Class

The book explores the tension between inherited aristocratic status and the need for earned wealth, as Lord Dawlish's noble title comes with little money, while American millionaires like Dudley Pickering wield power through their fortunes.

Bill's inheritance disrupts his social standing and relationships, highlighting the uneasy relationship between wealth and class.

Claire pressures Bill to use his title to make money, highlighting the tension between aristocratic status and financial necessity.

Bill's decision to go to America to make money highlights the tension between his aristocratic status and his financial struggles.

Claire's bitter resentment of her poverty and her envy of the opulent people in Piccadilly and Sloane Street underscore the theme of class division and the desire for wealth.