Hamlin Garland's "Under the Lion's Paw" is a story about two significant themes: the quest for the "American Dream" and the struggle of greed. Each theme is portrayed by two individual charaters: Haskins and Butler.
Haskins is shown as a man being perpetually "down-on-his-dumps". He's desperate for work and to take care and feed his family, yet, he is determined and dedicated to his work. Haskins turns a vacant, desolate piece of land into a beauty farm, using his own money. Unbeknowst to Haskins, this land is owned and he's been putting his own money fixing up this farm for someone else.
Butler is a wealthy real estate agent. He is seen as being higher up on the social hierarchy as the norm of people. After Butler sees the work put into his land, he refuses to sell it for the original price he offered previously. Butler is a cold, curel man corrupted by greed.
This story perfectly depicts man's eternal struggle for freedom. People still aren't exactly "free" to live the lives that they wish, and that people of a higher social class will always be "looking down" upon the lower class.
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