Workaholism is a motif associated with multiple characters throughout King of Wrath. Characters like Dante, Vivian’s friend Sloane, and others are directly accused of overworking. Vivian has the least attached relationship with her work; she works a lot and is dedicated, but she does not overwork. The first time that she leans into overwork is when she first leaves Dante after discovering the truth about their relationship. She uses work on the Legacy Ball to avoid thinking about what happened, concerning even her most work-obsessed friend, Sloane.

Dante, however, has chosen to live for his job at the beginning of the novel. When he thinks about his engagement to Vivian and marriage more generally, he thinks:

The thought of shackling myself to someone for the rest of my life was as appealing as walking into the ocean with concrete blocks strapped to my feet. I preferred work over people, many of whom didn’t appreciate coming in second place to contracts and meetings. But business was lucrative, practical, and, for the most part, predictable. Relationships were not (30).

Dante’s overworking is an outgrowth of his obsession with taking responsibility for his company and his family, stepping in to take care of his brother, Luca, after his parents left them at a young age.