Snobby Rich People

 

Imagine having to close a car door- I could never. Why with my infinite supply of butlers there to drive for me, eat for me and breathe for me, I could never partake in such peasantry as living.

By the way, I was being sarcastic. God I could never be like them. 

The high society with sleekly polished nails canvased to perfection, much like their readymade lives served on a silver platter, no taxes included of course. We, the butlers waiting on them hand and foot, put on our sharpest uniforms in their presence, and go home to our bills, our empty fridge, our children we couldn't take care of because we spent our day working for them. 

This "us" vs "them" mentality we see so prominently in our communities is undeniable in Sweat. The clearest example is how the factory workers refer to management. Those in charge have the power to make the rules, decide the fates of the countless workers below them, but as this power is abused, its no longer a "we" anymore, its "them". "They behave like they're doing you a goddamn favor" (37). Authority share the same struggles as the line workers, and therefore they don't share the same values. This divides the community into those chasing the money after those who stuff it "outta the pockets of a lot of good people" (91). 

Each side is visible but not understandable to the other, and this leads to further disparities. Employers of the factory aren't blind to the thousands of workers they've left hanging dry out on the streets, but why should they care? They are separate from "us". Consequences of the characters in the piece don't even leave a stain on the authority high above them, so in the eyes of an executive, 'their problem isn't ours'. 

Furthermore, we see this partition tear innocent relationships through Cynthia and Tracey. No matter how tight they were in their past, or even present, their close-knit circle is torn in a matter of hours when Cynthia is promoted. "I'm in there fighting for us" (71). Although Cynthia is no longer an "us". She part of "them" to Tracey, the inhumane bunch of manipulators that suck the soul of the poor, tired workers. Cynthia has done nothing of the sort, but this hatred is still built against her because Tracey unconsciously associates anyone in a higher position than her as "them". Even Oscar, who lies at an even lower position than Tracey is only looking to for extra cash when he discusses taking the job at Olstead's. 

But Tracey has built this bubble around her which is the only place she's comfortable to live in, in which anyone who isn't in her position is apart from "us". They are "them", and they are always the enemy.