The Adventures of Augie March doesn't have the close-up scrutiny of class arrangements and conflicts that you get in Gosford Park or Jane Austen, but the divide between the wealthy, independent and the poor, dependent is a recurring theme in the novel. Augie travels in both worlds, but his is no Cinderella story (sorry, Hilary Duff). The American Dream is important to him, but in a less tangible sense than what it is for most people pursuing the dream. As America is home to both the rich and the destitute, Augie is at home among both classes.
Questions About Society and Class
- What does Augie mean when he says that Einhorn is a superior man? (5.1)
- Why does Augie go along with Simon's plan to have him wed to Lucy Magnus?
- In what ways is high society important to Augie? In what ways is it not?
- Why does Grandma Lausch expect that her retirement home will be a high class place?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
Augie glamorizes the higher classes.
Augie accurately presents the higher classes.