What is the theme in Up in the Old Hotel and Other Stories by Joseph Mitchell?

A desire to help others is another theme. Many of the people described in Mitchell's stories were willing to invest time and energy in helping others. One of the most prevalent examples of this was Mazie Gordon. Mazie worked hard and spent a great part of every day at her job as ticket taker in a movie theater she owned along with her sisters. Despite the fact that she could have hired someone else to take tickets, Mazie was willing to work.