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The Lady of the Barge · Theme

Greed and Its Consequences

How The Lady of the Barge develops Greed and Its Consequences.

The pursuit of wealth and material gain leads to moral decay, betrayal, and tragedy, as seen in stories like 'The Monkey's Paw,' where a wish for money results in a son's death, and in the tale of the sailor who hides money in a mattress, leading to conflict and deceit.

Where it surfaces

  • The Monkey's Paw

    Mr. White's wish for money leads directly to his son's death, showing the destructive cost of greed.

  • I

    Mr. White's wish for two hundred pounds, made despite Morris's warnings, foreshadows the tragic outcomes that arise from trying to alter one's fortune.

  • The Price of a Wish

    The wish for two hundred pounds leads directly to Herbert's death, illustrating the destructive cost of greed.

  • Chapter III

    The Whites' desire to reverse death through the paw leads to terror and regret, illustrating the destructive nature of unchecked wishes.

  • Bill's Paper Chase

    Thomas Geary's miserly hoarding and Bill's desperate scheming for the money illustrate the corrupting power of greed.

  • The Well

    The hidden money at the bottom of the well symbolizes the destructive allure of wealth, leading Jem into physical and moral peril.

  • I

    Carr's financial desperation drives him to extortion, highlighting the destructive pursuit of money.

  • A Golden Venture

    Both Wiggett and Miller court Ann solely for her inheritance, and Miller's scheme backfires when the inheritance is revealed as a mistake.