 While the main character was without moral boundaries, he did remain loyal to his wife (a rare quality in Lewis' characters) but he never achieved anything genuine or of substance as he attempted to achieve everything which focused on style and perception.An earlier character of Lewis', Elmer Gantry, crosses paths with Planish several times in the book but their interactions serve only as a method to emphasize to the reader the similarities between the crooks in organized religion and the crooks in general philanthropy.One of the major reasons causing the novel to be considered relatively minor is the recurring themes of earlier works.