In Trianon, John Pollikop and Karl Pascal recreate their real-world dynamic from the auto shop. Lewis uses this humorous scene to once again emphasize that Trianon is just an extension of the rest of fascist society, as well as to mock radical activists’ tendency to get so stuck in theoretical arguments that they fail to address dire challenges in the real world. Meanwhile, Shad Ledue’s disappointment shows how fascism also fails its most loyal soldiers. First, it attracts them through false promises. Ledue thinks that he will get promoted just for succeeding at his job, when in reality, promotions are part of a corrupt patronage system—the only way to get promoted is by either sabotaging or paying off one’s superiors. Second, Ledue thought that cruelty and violence would win him respect and popularity, but now, he realizes that it just isolates him from everyone else.