Superiority Complex

"Two days later, the Prevosts, at 1404, were robbed, with a television the most expensive thing taken. No one said anything, but the neighbors knew it had to be Derek.  The next week, the Thortons, at 1414, had their car stolen. The car was only a Chevy, five years old, but that was not the point, said Bill Forsythe, at 1408. His wife, Prudence, had complained about what a noisy heap the Thorton car was and that the neighborhood was well rid of it. A man's property is a man's property, Bill said, even if it's one skate with three wheels" (74).

            Jones highlights the cruel dynamics of class hierarchy within, one can assume, a neighborhood devoid of racial diversity. The Benningtons' arrival on Eighth Street created a rift in the neighborhood's class distinction. The Benningtons were viewed as occupants of a significantly lower social status than the "veterans" of the block. From the beginning, the Benningtons were scrutinized for their lack of nice things; they had ratty, beat-up furniture, which their neighbors suggested was not worth moving into their new home. However, once the "good" neighbors found miscellaneous items stolen from their homes they became outraged, even if it was a "noisy heap" of a car. Bill claims that a car or even a broken skate is a man's property no matter its condition and firmly believes that man has a right to own useless items. The neighbors became hypocritical in thinking that their dingy belongings were of better value or significance than the Benningtons'. Their superiority complex had driven them to value their property, no matter how dingy or insignificant, above the Benningtons' home furnishings, which the neighbors concluded they should not have bothered to bring.

How else are the neighbors hypocritical with respect to their actions versus the Benningtons?