Masculinity in Theft

I loved how KAP used a prop as simple as a hat to mark such profound differences between her male characters. Genius characterization! In a few deft strokes, KAP gives us Camilo's humble circumstances and his pride. His refusal to take off his hat in the rain allows the reader an intuitive understanding of his sense of chivalry. He is almost immediately foiled by Roger in one of Katherine Anne Porter's most profound and subtle comments on masculinity: Roger, who could easily afford a new hat, does not feel the need to protect his pride by affecting a lack of concern over his material property (whereas Camilo, who clearly cannot afford a new hat, insists on pretending that the destruction of his property is of little consequence). I'm tagging this as a "masculinity" theme because the relationship between each man and his hat touches implicitly on courtship through the observations of the woman.
And note: Roger puts his hat under his coat to keep it from getting wet, with "his long, imperterbable face...streaming with water." I can't believe it took me two readings to recognize the patent absurdity of protecting a HAT from RAIN by putting it under your coat while your HEAD gets WET. (This sense of obvious absurdity repeats itself in the story again, both when Bill whines about finances and shows off his fancy new rug in the same breathe, and when the laundry woman brings back the purse only to turn the accusation of theft back on the purse's original owner.)