Money in Fiction

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses three literary works from three separate genres that reveal similar thematic content about money from highly divergent points of view. The paper states that in de Maupassant's short story, "The Diamond Necklace," the the story is about money and how having it or not having it can become the central focus of a life. The author believes that in "The Little Foxe's, Lillian Hellman personifies the opposing values of destructive greed versus human caring. The author continues that Robert Frost's poem, "The Death of the Hired Man," is not about grasping greed but about poverty and human values.

From the Paper:

"As the story continues, de Maupassant makes it clear that the lack of money causes Mathilde to be dissatisfied with every detail of her life. Her husband, who is well aware of her feelings, thinks he will please his wife by securing an invitation to a fancy ball. Mathilde, however, is devastated because she has nothing to wear and even after getting four hundred francs to buy a new gown, is still fearful of appearing "poverty-stricken" because she has no jewelry to wear. She believes "there's nothing more humiliating than to look poor among other women who are rich." Viewing the necklace, she will borrow from her wealthy friend, "her heart throbbed with an immoderate desire." Her heart does not throb for her husband. She cares only about the appearance of wealth, never considering the possibility that the diamonds are not real."

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