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Chapter 45
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Flivver King, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Capitalism and Dehumanization
American Idealism and Disillusionment
Misinformation, Media Bias, and Ignorance
Individualism vs. Unionization
Technology and Progress
Summary
Analysis
Tommy Shutt, Abner’s youngest son, is now 15 years old and thinking for himself, which Abner dislikes because Tommy doesn’t think the way Abner does. Tommy doesn’t share the family’s sense of gratitude towards Ford and believes that Ford—who is now a billionaire—takes advantage of his workers. This annoys Abner, who thinks that Tommy is being influenced by “Red” (communist) teachers.
Tommy’s perspective on Ford creates a conflict within his family because of their differing priorities. While Abner looks at all that Ford has done for him personally, Tommy doesn’t have the same reverence for Ford because he sees how much Ford takes advantage of his workers collectively in pursuit of profit.
Themes
Meanwhile, Abner continues to associate with the KKK, who want to make Henry Ford a candidate for president. Ford realizes that he has nothing to lose by running, because his campaign also serves to advertise his cars. Traveling around the country, Ford meets hundreds of Americans. People form clubs to support Ford and donate large sums to his campaign. During Ford’s tour, however, President Harding dies and Calvin Coolidge takes his place. Coolidge is a Protestant Gentile, so the KKK is happy to have him in office. Ford meets with Coolidge; afterward, Ford drops out of the race and buys an Alabama community named Muscle Shoals from the government for a very low price.
Ford’s run for president also exposes his lack of ideals. Rather than run for president with the intention of improving Americans’ lives, Ford simply uses the campaign as an advertisement for his cars. Likewise, his decision to drop out of the race is equally motivated by profit: he negotiates with Coolidge to buy Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in order to develop and use the electricity generated by the dam there, turning his candidacy into another means of amassing wealth.
Themes
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