Classism

The characters of Nina and Vanessa are juxtaposed in order to suggest that US culture is plagued by a problematic class divide that can only be overcome through personal determination. Nina comes from an extremely impoverished background. She grew up with her single mother, Lili Ross, who never had a steady job in her life. Instead, Lili Ross scraped by on cons she pulled, using whatever money she stole to feed herself and Nina. At the drop of a dime, Nina and Lili would be whisked away from one city to the next to avoid trouble with the police. Nina did not know her father, and she had no concept of a home because she was constantly being shuttled around by her mother and her spontaneous whims.

Class differences get in the way of Nina’s relationship with Benny and ultimately pulls them apart. In contrast...