A Handful of Dust

Content Warning: This section of the guide describes child loss and classism.

Tony Last lives a privileged life, but his privilege does not make him happy. On the contrary, it prevents his happiness by depriving him of any reason to define and work toward his ambitions.

Tony lives in a large country home that he does not like and can scarcely afford to keep up. Hetton Abbey has been in his family’s hands for many generations, evidence of the Last family’s considerable wealth. Between the running of his estate, his young family, and his time spent socializing in his private clubs, Tony has settled into a familiar routine. He does not work, nor does he have any projects or ambitions. He is living the life that has been handed to him, rather than a life of his choosing, and as a result, he feels a deep sense of personal dissatisfaction. His privilege insulates him from any real threat to his mundane routine. There is nothing at stake in Tony’s life. Gradually, he loses his wife, his child, and his routine. Only once he is made aware of his dissatisfaction does he begin to yearn for something different.