Houses have long represented status, so it is no coincidence that Carnegie begins his article with a discussion of the Sioux and their homes, noting that the home of the chief looks much the same as the home of one of his tribe because their society operates differently than that of capitalist America. Shortly after mentioning the Sioux, Carnegie compares the millionaire’s grand palace with the humble cottage of a laborer, acknowledging that homes represent position and affluence. Even today, the position of an individual’s home—as well as its size and its interior details—communicate a message to both its inhabitants and its visitors about the owner’s wealth and personal taste. Later in the article, Carnegie is stern about ostentatious displays of wealth in one’s home, describing them as offensive and in poor taste.