The Last One at the Wedding

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses death, addiction, suicide, violence, and sexual content. 

The relationship between class and identity is one of this novel’s key thematic focal points. Although Frank, a UPS driver, is perhaps the most overt example of character who derives his sense of self from his class position, Rekulak also engages with the importance of having price in a working-class identity through his depiction of Tammy, Maggie, and Aidan.

Frank is the embodiment of working-class pride. As a lifelong UPS driver, he is employed in a manual labor job that did not require higher education. He sees this as a source of honor and self-respect. He is a self-reflective individual and understands that the skills he learned as a UPS driver have also served him well in other areas of his life: He is able to solve problems and tackle difficult jobs on his own. He does not shy away from hard work and is largely self-sufficient. He has a strong work ethic and is dependable. He also takes seriously his role as a community member and family man: He is always willing to lend a helping hand and sincerely wants to serve the people around him.