Society and Class Quotes in Boardwalk Empire

It all starts with a dream. Jonathan Pitney is a humble doctor who has dedicated his life to helping the people of his community. But that's not enough for him. Pitney wants the American Dream, the whole shebang. He wants to rise in the ranks of society and emerge a bona fide member of the upper class.

This is the state of society when Atlantic City is founded. There are pretty much only two groups of people, the mega-rich and everyone else. Luckily for the resort, this dynamic shifts as industry develops, changing the complexion of Atlantic City (and America) forever.

The founders of Atlantic City quickly realize that courting working class visitors will be their only chance at success. This is actually pretty revolutionary: Before Atlantic City, vacations were almost exclusively the domain of the wealthy and powerful.

Well that's just rude. This goes to show that, although business leaders realize the importance of working class customers, many middle and upper class residents are quite unhappy with this business tactic. They have no interest in dealing with working class rabble.

When Atlantic City was founded, its main competitor was Cape May, a popular vacation home for the rich and famous. But when was the last time you heard someone talk about Cape May? Atlantic City became so successful because it took the leap and created the first resort experience for the not-so-wealthy.

If John Young has anything going for him, it's that he understands his customers. These are people who work super hard for six days a week, driven forward by fantasies of spending a day in Atlantic City. They're not looking for classy entertainment; they're looking for fun.

If you can give Nucky any credit, it's that he's always sure to help out the poor and working class residents of Atlantic City. True, he does it for some less than savory reasons, but that shouldn't matter too much in the long run. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, then the road to heaven might be equally contradictory.

At first, black residents of Atlantic City are forced into hotel employment simply because no white people want do the job. Now that Atlantic City is in dire straits, however, white folk are eager to take back the jobs they never wanted in the first place. Once again, black Americans are left by the wayside.

The rise of the welfare system transforms the way Atlantic City functions. Before, lower class residents depended on the whims of local politicians for financial and material support. Now, however, the federal government has taken over the job. You can debate whether or not this is a positive change, but the fact remains that it transforms the fabric of Atlantic City society.

This happens all the time in cities. First, economic instability takes its toll on an urban center, prompting middle and upper class residents to flee—after all, they're the only ones who can afford a move. This leaves working class residents stuck in a decaying wasteland with little hope of getting out.