“At the little living-room desk Tom Benecke rolled two sheets of flimsy and a heavier top sheet, carbon paper sandwiched between them, into his portable.”

The word “flimsy” refers to thin paper used in typing carbon copies of a document. The passage indicates that the story’s setting is an earlier time period, as Tom is typing on a portable typewriter rather than a computer. This passage also conveys Tom’s obsessive work ethic: The scene opens in his living room and yet he is preoccupied with work, hinting at the extent to which his job has consumed his life.

“At his desk again Tom lighted a cigarette; then a few moments later […] he set it on the rim of the ashtray.”

The presence of the lighted cigarette on the rim of the ashtray foreshadows an event that occurs later in the story. On the ledge, Tom looks into the living room and sees that the cigarette is still burning and has a long ash, indicating that he has been outside only a few minutes. He is shocked by this realization, since his time on the ledge feels like an eternity to him. This speaks to the psychological effects of fear, which can warp a person’s perceptions.

“You won’t mind though, will you, when the money comes rolling in and I’m known as the Boy Wizard of Wholesale Groceries?”

Tom is motivated by two objectives: making a lot of money and being recognized and admired in his profession. Both of his objectives are reflected in his desire to “climb to where he was determined to be, at the very top” (22).