One of the first things Humphrey reveals about himself is his relief at a certain division of labor between men. Instead of having to learn a myriad of skills, Humphrey can board a ship and have someone else take him to a far place: “I remember thinking how comfortable it was, this division of labor” (1-2). Humphrey enjoys the freedom innate to his inherited social class. He has benefactors who supplied his passive income, allowing him to write about art and literature at his leisure.

Larsen’s introductory question for both Humphrey and Maud asks after how they feed themselves, how they make money, and what job they work. In fact, Larsen’s main motivation for keeping Humphrey aboard the Ghost—and thereby instigating the novel’s entire plot—is to teach him a lesson on the realities of Humphrey’s idealized division of labor. Rather than being a peaceful, respectable demonstration of how separate spheres of knowledge can work in a society, class-based division of labor produces unequal distributions of resources, wealth, food availability, and career advancement.

Life on the Ghost, first as a cabin boy and later as mate to Larsen, introduces Humphrey into a working-class environment heretofore alien to him. The necessity of each man working hard to keep the Ghost from disaster is impressed upon him from the first day; furthermore, Humphrey is struck by how uncannily feuds, resentments, rivalries, and plots dissipate when the ship struggles against natural elements; the travail requires each and every crew member to do their part, producing a unity.