Money

Throughout the narrative, money is a potent and powerful symbol of power, success, and status - that is, for the rich who run the City. For those like protagonist John, who struggle to make a living (let alone pay their long outstanding bills), it is the cause and source of considerable anxiety. The entire novel is, in one way or another, an exploration of the history, affects, and corrupting power of money.

The Pie

The idea of pie is used in the book to represent someone who had success, a share of which might have been shared among those with less, but which was abandoned and left behind - an image of carelessness with bounty. In the Introduction to Part 1, there is a subtle but potent image of a half-eaten pie left in the refrigerator of a man just sent to prison for corrupt financial practices...