In "Deaths for the Ladies," Norman Mailer presents a stark contrast between the rich and the poor, depicting the latter as insignificant and unrefined. The poor are portrayed as mere remnants of the past, their existence reduced to a negative force, likened to filthy air in forgotten spaces. Their voices are described as unpleasant, filled with the harsh realities of their circumstances, emphasizing a sense of despair and hopelessness. The rich, in their arrogance, suggest that the destruction of the poor would lead to a loss of spiritual roots, indicating a complex relationship between wealth and morality.

Mailer's text highlights the tension between social classes and the struggle for dignity among the disadvantaged. The stark imagery serves as a critique of societal indifference towards poverty, as the rich dismiss the plight of the poor, waiting indefinitely for them to rise above their circumstances. This creates a grim atmosphere where the rich's disdain for the poor contributes to a cycle of degradation, suggesting that both groups are ultimately intertwined in a larger existential struggle. The narrative challenges readers to consider the deeper implications of wealth and value in society.