Capitalism

The novel frames modern capitalist culture as enabling unscrupulous and immoral behavior, for such systems encourage acquisitive behavior over altruistic moral considerations. The characters of Nat Dersh and Dieter Delgado function as the personified embodiment of these dynamics, for all of their actions are motivated by unscrupulous, unreflective greed rather than any moral considerations. When Dersh and Delgado attempt to buy the Institute for Mental Archery, Hark refuses them because he knows that they only wish to turn the Institute into a moneymaking venture rather than actually aid Hark’s goals of helping other people. Nat directly expresses and endorses his amoral attitude in conversation with Fraz: “You know in the old movies when the villain always asks the hero to join him. And the fucking hero never does. When I was a little kid I would call out, ‘Join him!’ I was a committed conglomerist...