There
are many themes and ways to analysis Mark Twain’s “The one million pound bank
note”. Numerous people look at the
meaning of Henry’s character and how Mark Twain tried to recreate the American
Dream in a more structured class system (Britain ). Even though these views are correct, I
interpret the short story in a different manner. I see the short story as a representation of
the banking system and Twain’s view on credit.
Twain’s view on the extension of credit plays an important role in the
cliché of the “rich keep getting richer”.
Mark
Twain uses irony to convey his point.
“Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million
pounds”. The quote conveys the rational
brother, Roderick’s view on how Henry could benefit from the note, he can not
benefit from it because he can not use it.
Later when Henry goes to the store and hands the tailor the million
dollar banknote, he is immediately extended a line of credit (something Henry
was not offered when the tailor had no reason to believe he was rich). The same occurred to Henry when he went to
eat, he was offered a line of credit and people were more inclined to him.
The
aforementioned examples are to convey Oliver’s point about the banking system,
the irrational point, that he can use the note in society without cashing
it. Oliver’s thinking is symbolic of our
credit system and how society treats the wealthy. The rational person especially in the 1880s
would not give money to someone and expect them to pay it back with no way to
contact the person. The appearance of
having wealth made it easier for Henry to purchase things on credit. In modern times the greater the wealth one
posses, the better the line of credit they can open. The problem occurs when the rich use the
credit available to them and invest them into stocks and bonds adding more
money to their value-the rich keep getting richer. The top two percent in America own
over ninety percent of all available stock on Wall Street. If you are rich people/society are more
willing to do more for you, and you do not have to contribute as much.
Mark
Twain uses “The One Million Dollar Banknote” to convey his point on income
inequality. He also saw a fundamental
flaw in capitalism; the rich keep getting richer. The upper echelon of society, the one
percent, is able to gain more wealth because society and the banking system
treat them differently than everyone.
The appearance of wealth is all one needs to be prosperous in society
because people invest things in what they want to believe, and the measures
they take to make their false perceptions of reality look well. For example, Henry was in rags when he handed
the tailor the note, the tailor immediately gave him a line of credit because he
thought he was rich.
I would have to disagree with you on the point you make about Twain throwing in the comment could I even afford it. My reasoning behind this is because the character, Adams, knows he has a large some of money but he knows what he possess could be seen as illegal and doesn't want to be caught with it; which is the other side of the bet in the story. Another reason I believe that he is doubting that he can afford it is because the money was only lent to him, which meant that he had to give it back after the thirty days. I think that by saying that he couldn't afford it was him knowing that if he spent any of the money, then he wouldn't have any money to give back to the brothers at the end of the thirty days.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting interpretation of the story, and I do agree with the point you make about Twain's commentary on the "rich getting richer," especially because of the way the story ends -- how everything works out for Adams in the end and he essentially rides off into the sunset with lots of money and a beautiful bride. I too think that what Trevor commented about the idea of having nothing in the world but a one million pound bank note is there to note the Adams struggle in his head when deciding what to do with the money, but Simran your point made me see the quote in a different light-- therefore I would say there are many different ways the quote could be interpreted and really, couldn't Twain have possibly been commenting on both the class system as well as Adams mental struggle? It is also interesting to think of this concept of "money" and a "material wealth" because what is money REALLY? Doesn't the fact that the idea and appearance of wealth award Adams with so many opportunities make you think about the fact that there is never any money actually passing from hand to hand? There is nothing tangible!
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