Lifelike authenticity is a characteristic feature of the works of the “working novelists,” among whom A. Sillitoe may also be counted. This is explained by the fact that they all come from a working-class background, whose customs and way of life they reproduce so truthfully in their books. A constant motif of these works is the main character’s desire to break free from a bleak, numbing existence and reach a more meaningful life—usually by turning to the craft of writing. Such is the life path of Brian Seaton, the central character of A. Sillitoe’s novel “The Key to the Door”.