“Rectangle”, those from the parish were opened up to a whole new world- one they were shocked to realize existed! In his list of “Things that Jesus Would Probably Do In This Parish”, Henry Maxwell noted that he wanted to befriend the people of rectangle. He felt that he and his teachings had something to offer the people. In terms of the Progressive Era, this potion of the novel reflects the emergence of the tenement dwellers and their lower class ways. It also points to the gap between the “haves” and the “have-nots”.There is also reference made in the novel to the poor workplace conditions. Mr. Powers, the head of the Railroad in town, has the idea to convert a former storage room into a comfortable break room, furnished with tables and chairs and even offering coffee. This points to the Progressive Movement in that it was a major concern of some to improve the working conditions of the nation’s factories and such. After the tragic disaster at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, much attention was given to the welfare of employees and the general safety of their working conditions. The reference in the novel goes to show the importance of the issue on the real world scale.The issue of the print media is also given attention. Take the story of Edward Norman, the newspaper editor, for example. Once engaged in practices similar to that of the muckrakers, he is then forced to put his vow to God in front of his business commitment. He stops publishing a Sunday edition of his newspaper, much to his customers’ dismay. Sunday, in his mind, is the Sabbath day- a day of rest and holy devotion. The content of his paper also changes, now neglecting the modern controversial issues such as politics that consumed the time period. This portion of the novel portrays the influential position that the print journalists had on the society at the time.The issue of women is also very d...
