Reducing

Set in the Jazz Age, the narrative borrows from contemporary urban wealth, flamboyant social events, and the era’s fascination with appearances. The story centers on salons, parties, and matchmaking schemes typical of the period. The move from Indiana to New York underscores the era’s mobility and the pursuit of status.

The story unfolds across two main settings: South Bend, Indiana, where the Truffle family lives humbly, and New York City, where Polly’s exclusive beauty parlor serves the city’s upper crust. The salon acts as a social stage for glamour, vanity, and rivalry, while the family’s move to the big city exposes them to fashion, prestige, and urban sophistication. The contrasting environments highlight class tensions and the pull between provincial manners and metropolitan life.

🤝 Family & Reconciliation

A central thread follows the Truffle and Rochay families as pride, vanity, and misunderstandings threaten harmony. Despite clashes over class and manners, the narrative resolves through confession, generosity, and a return to familial ties.

💎 Social Class & Snobbery

Polly’s insistence on refinement pits her against the Truffles' more down-to-earth values. The pursuit of suitable matches and status drives key plot points, including matchmaking and the implied critique of aristocratic pretensions.

💘 Romance & Jealousy

Romantic rivalries fuel the drama: Johnnie Beasley’s affections clash with Joyce’s pride and Vivian’s prospects. The story delves into desire, loyalty, and the ways love destabilizes social hierarchies.

🎭 Comedy in Conflict

Farce and misunderstandings punctuate the plot: mishaps at the salon, a dramatic confrontation with a revolver joke, and the eventual reconciliation. The humor arises from character flaws reacting under pressure.