# Metropolis explained — Metropolis

> Chapter companion for Metropolis by Thea von Harbou.

## What happens

The chapter introduces the city of Metropolis, a vast and oppressive urban landscape where the wealthy elite live in luxury above ground while the workers toil in the depths below. The narrative sets the stage for the class divisions and the central conflict between the rulers and the exploited masses.

## Themes in this chapter

### Class Division and Exploitation

The chapter establishes the fundamental divide between the ruling class above ground and the exploited workers below.

### Dehumanization by Technology

The city's mechanized environment reduces workers to mere cogs in a machine, highlighting the loss of humanity.

## Character check-ins

### The Master of Metropolis

Introduced as the ruler of the city, embodying the oppressive power structure.

### The Hands

Symbolic representation of the workers who perform manual labor in the depths of Metropolis.

### The Brain

Symbolic representation of the planners and thinkers who control the city's operations.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metropolis_se/chapters/metropolis
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metropolis_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/metropolis_se/chapters