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“He’s out in the street. A swirling wind down Broadway blows grit in his mouth and eyes.”
In "FIRST SECTION: V Steamroller," sixteen-year-old Jimmy has decided to reject his uncle’s job offer. He has never felt comfortable with the Merivales, and although he has just told Uncle Jeff he will accept a job, Jimmy thinks better of it once he gets out on the street. Notably, Jimmy is now out on the street in more ways than one. Without the security of a job in finance, he will have to make his way. He struggles throughout the book with financial instability and against the cruel city he always wants to leave. New York is uninviting for people who are not at the top, and this is illustrated physically as grit blows in Jimmy’s face and eyes as he steps into his uncertain future. This foreshadows the difficulty that Jimmy will experience during his adult life in the city. “Steamroller” is the fitting name for this chapter, as several characters feel the pressure of the city pushing in on them.
