Contents of the Dead Man's Pocket

Tom is the protagonist and the only main character in “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pocket.” He is a dynamic character, as his values are clearly established in the story’s beginning; by its conclusion, they have changed dramatically.

A young, lower-level employee at a marketing agency, Tom seeks to move up in the company hierarchy by distinguishing himself from “the score of other young men in the company” (22) through personal initiative and extraordinary effort. Working nights, weekends, and on his lunch hours, Tom completes a new display method to use in grocery stores to increase sales. It is only one of the projects he has completed, and he has plans for others. Tom believes that his projects are “the way to change from a name on the payroll to a name in the minds of the company officials” (22). He regards them as “the beginning of the long, long climb to where he was determined to be, at the very top” (22). His ultimate goal is financial success; he wants to make a lot of money.

Tom’s unrelenting focus on work allows him no time to spend with his wife, Clare, whom he loves. When Clare worries aloud that he works too hard, Tom smiles and asks, “You won’t mind though, will you, when the money comes rolling in and I’m known as the Boy Wizard of Wholesale Groceries?” (21).