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Essay / The theme of friendship in Sándor Márai's "Embers"
Henrik being born into a rich family and Konrad being born into a poor family, there is a significant distinction between the social classes of the two characters, which means that each character's childhood through adulthood was shaped significantly differently. Another interesting feature of Henrik's idea of friendship is that Henrik prevents the distinct social divide from negatively affecting their bond. Readers are able to distinguish between Henrik and Konrad's backgrounds, as Márai says: "The son of the guard officer felt that their bond of friendship... needed to be protected from the influence of money and any trace of envy or lack of tact. It wasn't easy. (60). Furthermore, “…this friendship, despite the difference in wealth, must be protected throughout life” (60). Also: “And thanks to their friendship, each forgave the other for original sin: wealth on the one hand and poverty on the other” (61). Society disapproves of the simple idea of an individual from a wealthy rank making the acquaintance of an individual from a poor rank. This further reinforces the merit of Henrik's definition of friendship, as he personally chooses to ignore the contrast between his and Konrad's wealth, not allowing a petty component to control the quality of their friendship and meaning that 'Henrik values friendship over conformity and