Like many young men beginning their careers in New York City, Tom has professional goals and plans for the future. His work ethic is strong, and his desire to succeed drives every decision. For Tom, moderate success is not an option; he intends to achieve spectacular success, reaching the top of his company and making lots of money.

Tom doesn’t enjoy his work; it is only a means to an end. Thinking of his latest project, which he hopes will advance his career, he recalls “four long Saturday afternoons [when] he had stood in supermarkets counting the people who passed certain displays” (22). He remembers taking notes over “stacks of trade publications” and spending “a dozen lunch hours and early evenings” (22) at the library, taking more notes. Tom’s life is his work, even though he takes no joy in it.

Tom is unaware the price he is paying in exchange for an exalted professional position and material wealth. He deprives himself of everyday pleasures, like going to a movie he wants to see, and he spends most of his time alone, working every free moment. He sacrifices time he and Clare could spend together, essentially forcing her to live alone too.