Erewhon · Theme
Wealth and Social Status
How Erewhon develops Wealth and Social Status.
In Erewhon, wealth is equated with virtue and moral worth, with the rich exempt from taxation and revered as 'works of art,' satirizing capitalism and the worship of money.
Where it surfaces
- Waste Lands
The narrator's desire to better his fortunes and achieve a position beyond ordinary men drives his exploration and risk-taking.
- The Musical Banks
Social standing depends on maintaining a balance at the Musical Banks, despite the currency having no commercial value, highlighting the performative nature of wealth.
- XVI: Arowhena
The narrator's pension and physical appearance (light hair) make him an eligible match, despite his dislike of the Nosnibors' worldliness.
- Ydgrun and the Ydgrunites
The high Ydgrunites are described as gentlemen of courage, honor, and good qualities, linking moral character with social standing and peer influence.
- XX: What They Mean by It
Erewhonians revere wealth as a symbol of duty and exempt the very rich from taxation; the narrator argues that money is a greater aid to culture than poverty.
- XXV: The Machines—Concluded
The counter-argument links machines to extra-corporeal limbs, suggesting that the rich benefit from such 'limbs' and are thus deemed more worthy.
- Escape
The narrator's prosecution is tied to his possession of a watch and attempt to reintroduce machinery, reflecting Erewhon's inverted values.