Grey city
The way the novel opens is important because the narrator portrays a dismal picture of Seattle during the midst of the Great Depression. The city is portrayed in grey colors, with grey skies above it and a general sense of despair. The image portrayed here has the purpose of showing just how hard things were during the Great Depression and the general state many people found themselves in.
Rich kids
In the 1930s, college education was available primarily to children coming from rich families. The educational possibilities were rather limited for those who came from low income families or even form middle class families. This portrays the educational system as being in favor of the rich and against creating equal opportunities for the poor. As a result, the rich continued to get richer and the poor remained the same as they were before, living in a society that offered them little to no possibilities.
Good image
Initially, Hitler was against agreeing to let Germany host the Olympic Games in the 1930s. He feared that by agreeing to host the Games, more Jews would enter the country in a period when Hitler was trying to reduce the Jewish population. In the end, Hitler was convinced by his Propaganda director to agree to the Games because the Propaganda office was sure that by agreeing to host the Games, Germany would be portrayed in a positive light by the other countries and that they would be able to manipulate the things around them to make it seem as if they were an accepting and tolerant country.
Rough man
The narrator describes Joe on numerous occasions, and every time, Joe is described almost as a homeless man. He is ragged, with old clothes and his appearance usually makes him the subject of jokes and that make him feel awkward and out of place. This portrays Joe as the victim of a society that can’t help him in any way, but also as a man who is capable of getting over every hardship life throws at him and is capable of succeeding.
