Jim's first impression of the town is "...a curious social situation. All the young men felt the attraction of the beautiful, well-settled country girls who had come to town to earn his living (1023).” There was severe segregation between country or “hired” girls and city girls. City girls were considered “refined” while country girls were seen as “disreputable” (1023). The townspeople looked down on these girls; "Country girls were seen as a threat to the social order