To people like Philip Reardon, the only valid contribution one can make to their fellow man is in the form of a handout. Just give them a fish instead of teaching them how to fish.
Instead, there is only scorn and reproach for the industrialists that create products that make life easier and enable people to “do for themselves”; no acknowledgment whatsoever that the goods and services they provided do contribute to the general welfare.
The extent of their wealth is in itself proof that people valued the services and the resulting opportunities their services provided and a lot of people were willing to exchange money for it.
Then there’s the chain itself. This was just a joke to Lillian, wasn’t it? She even used it to make Hank feel guilty!
The chain, that little palm-full of metal represented Hank’s hopes and aspirations and a LOT of effort. For that reason alone you’d think a wife would cherish it. That was the most hurtful part of the chapter. She would rather have had something glamorous. If she had believed in him, she might have considered the notion that many years hence, Reardon Metal would be everywhere and a part of daily life for many people and that bracelet would come to have great value in terms of its cultural significance, being the first thing made from Reardon Metal.
I vote for one post per week.
I think it is handouts given by Reardon and society at large that caused the attitude of his family toward him.
Look at what happens when people feed bears. The bears become dependent, lose their natural fear and will attack you if they want something you have. They don’t feel grateful. They feel bold and entitled. The same thing for inner city youths that grow up under wellare. They are dependent, but they don’t appreciate those whose taxes allow them to live under dependence and with no contribution on their part. In fact they will often kill you if there is something they want that you have.