Apart from the social issues stemming from the environment and socioeconomic systems, Algren explores broader, more universal themes. One of the most noticeable is the theme of interconnectedness and interdependence. Law enforcement and criminals are portrayed as brothers—similar in nature, with a shared understanding that unites them against the "squares," who live in a world detached from basic existence. The narrator notes that everyone "had been twisted about a bit," suggesting that each person's flaws or inclinations find their counterpart in another—whether it's cop and criminal, man and woman, con artist and victim, or dealer and addict.

Due to this interconnectedness, individuals become reliant on each other, which has both beneficial and detrimental effects. While the closeness fostered by these relationships counters the typical isolation found in city life, it can also lead to a classic victim-abuser dynamic. In this dynamic, the abuser is also a victim, not only of societal pressures but sometimes of their own victims. For instance, Frankie's estranged wife Zosh feigns being bound to a wheelchair to heighten his sense of guilt and further entangle him with her. Similarly, Frankie and Sparrow end up killing the drug dealer Nifty Louie.

Due to this reliance, "For everybody needed somebody," individuals require lies, the "poor man's pennies," which manifest as the infamous tall tales and "rapping" within stories. "Everyone had to pretend a bit to be somebody," thus, the con artists, shills, and smooth talkers — whose words fill the air in barrooms and card games — become symbols of the universal quest for identity, success, and distinctiveness.

The necessity to either victimize others or become a victim to uphold illusions at the cost of others' needs results in betrayal, which is the dark side of the camaraderie found in friendship. This occurs as the system manipulates people's noble instincts against them. For instance, Sparrow betrays Frankie after the underwear theft, Molly makes a selfless choice to shield Frankie from the police, leading to her own conviction, and Blind Pig's betrayal of all the residents of the Tug and Maul. These actions stem from a system that demands and rewards the exploitation of one's deepest human emotions.

Because individuals can only keep their illusions and sometimes their very survival by exploiting, victimizing, or ignoring the needs of others, their lives become filled with fear of retribution and anger, along with a sense of personal guilt. Consequently, Frankie, whose dismissal of Zosh results in her revenge—a psychosomatic paralysis that victimizes both herself and Frankie—is overwhelmed by guilt, pushing him deeper into his addiction.