Set in the real world of modern day, the first half of this work traces the journey to individual salvation. It focuses on faith, overcoming obstacles, salvation, treachery, brutality, through journeyman like adventures. Mason and Samantha, show their struggle to gain valor and integrity through transportation and geography; loss of paradise and redemption in their journey to salvation. It is the power of common man to triumph over environment and destiny.
The second half explores man's choices between duty to survive and crime. Driven by bad luck and a difficult social system, it focuses on weak morals, opportunism, money and greed.
Through the Bainbridge and Montgomery families we see two women who marry for money and push their husbands to commit murder, or at least hasten death for money. There is no genuine passion between spouses, and children are used as pawns to dominate and control relationships.
Mason's social commentary in the second half of the novel shows that the optimism of wealth, through a thousand indignities, ends in an awareness of current social justice. Those who allow their spiritual forces to control their being for self aggrandizement will end in tragic consequences, while those who can reconcile intellect, ambition and remain loyal to self and others are rewarded.