As the descriptions of Lawrence Lefferts grow more absurd, the narrator emphasizes New York’s flaw of overvaluing Lawrence’s superficial social rules. She reflects this society’s flawed attitude toward Lawrence with overblown compliments about his physical appearance and the seemingly ridiculous importance New York places on his dress codes. Through carefully selected details and hyperbolic diction about Lawrence’s importance to society and perfect physical appearance, the narrator criticizes Lawrence and this society’s view of him like a king, emphasizing New York’s shallow social rules without any focus on moral issues. Throughout this passage, the narrator’s critical details and hyperbole emphasize how this society values Lawrence as an …show more content…
For example, one of the compliments provided about him states that he “can tell a fellow just when to wear a black tie with evening clothes” (7). While this knowledge and these specific details about when a person should wear “a black tie” might seem trivial, this ability of Lawrence allows him to become respected in New York, reflecting poorly on the society as a whole. Furthermore, the details and hyperbole becomes even more absurd as “his authority had never been disputed” “on the question of pumps versus patent-leather ‘Oxfords,’” essentially reducing society’s largest problems down to a question about fashion (7). With so much emphasis on these strict social rules, the selection of details and hyperbole from the narrator critique the shallow nature of Lawrence and consequently how his shallow values negatively infiltrate New …show more content…
For example, the detailed description of “the slant on his bald forehead” as a valued trait emphasizes Lawrence’s significant influence on New York’s values (7). That oddly specific description of “his bald forehead” might seem like a negative trait, especially as a sign of aging and eventual loss of influence, but Lawrence’s status contributes to his ability to turn baldness into a sense of refinement. When the narrator describes these supposedly perfect physical details of Lawrence, the narrator not only recognizes New York’s overemphasis on superficial values but also critiques Lawrence’s harmful contributions to create and define those values. Furthermore, the narrator describes how Lawrence’s “knowledge of ‘form’ must be congenital,” a