Short Fiction · Chapter
The Lady Higher Up explained
In a whimsical midnight conversation between the Statue of Liberty and the Diana statue atop Madison Square Garden, the two goddesses gossip about the dullness of New York City society, the absurdities of modern life, and their respective r
What happens
In a whimsical midnight conversation between the Statue of Liberty and the Diana statue atop Madison Square Garden, the two goddesses gossip about the dullness of New York City society, the absurdities of modern life, and their respective roles. Liberty, speaking with an Irish brogue, laments her lonely duty welcoming immigrants, while Diana, perched high above the city, offers a more cynical perspective on the fate of those same immigrants who eventually become successful citizens.
Themes in this chapter
Humor and Irony
The entire chapter is a humorous, ironic dialogue between two statues, poking fun at New York society, immigration, and the pretensions of art and culture.
Social Class and Wealth
Diana's gossip about a merchant with his stenographer and the mention of steerage rates highlight class distinctions and the pursuit of wealth.
Characters to notice
- Unknown Narrator
The narrator sets the scene and describes the statues' conversation.
Key passages
“Oh, no; the town’s strickly on the bum these nights. Everybody’s away. Saw a downtown merchant on a roof garden this evening with his stenographer.”
The city is dead; everyone has left. I saw a businessman at a rooftop garden with his secretary.
Diana describes the dullness of New York society.
“’Tis weary work... disseminatin’ the science of liberty in New York Bay.”
It's exhausting work spreading the idea of liberty in New York Harbor.
Liberty complains about her duty.
“Every little while up here I see guys signing checks and voting the right ticket, and encouraging the arts and taking a bath every morning, that was shoved ashore by a dock labourer born in the United States who never earned over forty dollars a month.”
I often see successful men who were once poor immigrants, now wealthy and respectable.
Diana counters Liberty's complaint by noting that immigrants often thrive.