The Flivver King: A Story of Ford-America

Johnny is absorbed in his work as a resistance welder at the River Rouge plant. He and his privileged and stylish wife, Annabelle, live in a “showy” (143) house in an expensive, exclusive neighborhood. The two occupy a middle-to-high position within a hierarchy based on income and view the “Ford empire” for which John works and which he reveres, as “most virtuous” (143). Although their house is poorly built and “its owners would have heavy repair bills in the future” (144), they believe that John’s skills will always be in demand and that he will continue to earn a good living.

The other members of the Shutt family live in the Ford “feudal” (144) system as well: “Abner and Milly were the most abject of serfs, having pictures of their liege cut from Sunday supplements and pasted on the wall, serving the same purpose as Russian ikons” (145). They are “blissful” that John is succeeding in the Ford Company and that Daisy has fallen in love with a Ford administration employee, and they hope “that Tommy’s youthful rebelliousness [will] pass and that he too [will] become one of Henry’s retainers” (145).

Whether one serves Ford or rebels against him, he still “dominate[s] your life” (145), as Hank Shutt’s life demonstrates.