He wanted to honor Shad for the sweaty shirt, the honest toil, and all the rugged virtues, but even as a Liberal American Humanitarian, Doremus found it hard always to keep up the Longfellow's-Village-Blacksmith-cum-Marx attitude consistently and not sometimes backslide into a belief that there must be crooks and swine among the toilers as, notoriously, there were so shockingly many among persons with more than $3500 a year.
In Sinclair Lewis's "It Can't Happen Here," Doremus reflects on the value of hard work and the integrity of the common laborer, represented by Shad's sweaty shirt and honest efforts. Doremus, despite his ideals as a Liberal American Humanitarian, struggles with the contradiction of his beliefs. While he wishes to uphold the noble image of the hardworking American, he finds himself grappling with skepticism about the presence of dishonesty among those who are more affluent.
This internal conflict highlights Doremus's difficulty in maintaining an unwavering belief in the goodness of every worker. His acknowledgment of the crookedness often found among those of higher social standings causes him to question the purity of the labor class he admires. Therefore, Doremus's reflection serves as a critique of the societal divide and the complexities inherent in appreciating the working class while recognizing the corruption that can exist at all levels of society.
