Imagine being on a balcony, looking eleven stories down because of a sheet of paper for work. In the short story “The Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket,” written by Jack Finney, Tom Benecke almost loses his life when he puts work before his family. The theme of family is expressed throughout the story through the characters, actions, and setting. First, the characters in the story help to better understand the theme of the story. The main characters in the story are Tom Benecke and his wife. Tom is a hardworking man and is determined to excel in his work in order to get a promotion. Tom’s wife is a loving wife and wants to spend time with Tom by going to see a movie with him, but Tom is to busy with work. She understands Tom’s excuse