" One thing was certain: the Morses had not cared to have him for himself or for his work.  Therefore they could not want him now for himself or for his work, but for the fame that was his, because he was somebody amongst men, and—why not?—because he had a hundred thousand dollars or so.  That was the way bourgeois society valued a man, and who was he to expect it otherwise?  "

― Jack London , Jack London: 22 Novels + 57 Short Stories (Timeless Wisdom Collection Book)