Watch the woman’s face. If the woman likes it we can screw the old man. Start ’em on that Cad’. Then you can work ’em down to that ’26 Buick. ‘F you start on the Buick, they’ll go for a Ford. Roll up your sleeves an’ get to work. This ain’t gonna last forever.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 7. A ruthless used car dealer takes advantage of the dispossessed migrants fleeing to California. This quote shows how devoid of humanity and profit-hungry he is, his goal being to cheat the unsuspecting customer. Steinbeck uses dramatic irony here, with the reader being able to see the dealer’s dishonesty, but the customer unaware. In this passage the owner advises a salesman to zone in on a female customer who likes a car, so that she will pressure her husband to buy. Deception is a major theme running through this chapter.