As Maggie’s mother lives through life crying, Jimmie takes on a different method. To be well liked by his peers, he denounces his sister. Jimmie wonders about Maggie’s decline from her perspective. He estimates that she never knew a better way, but he is incapable of admitting the truth of this, even for himself. The words “higher social plane, and publicly damned his sister,” all illustrate Jimmie’s sense of ego. He lives off of his self-esteem to contrast his poverty-stricken life. He often mocks, exposes, and criticizes his sister publically. This demonstrates the corrupt relationship of Maggie's family and their lifestyle.
