The Wealth of Nations · Character
The Masters
The employers whose birth and fortune set them above other men, and whose authority quietly becomes the state's first government.
supporting
Also known as the masters, The masters, their
First appearance: viii of the wages of labour
As a supporting figure in The Wealth of Nations, The Masters is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Implied as employers who withdraw stock when market price falls below natural price.
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In Of the Natural and Market Price of Commodities: Implied as employers who withdraw stock when market price falls below natural price. Later, in X: Of Wages and Profit in the Different Employments of Labour and Stock:…
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See The Masters in viii of the wages of labourNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Smi…
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The Masters appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- Of the Natural and Market Price of Commodities
- X: Of Wages and Profit in the Different Employments of Labour and Stock
- II: Inequalities Occasioned by the Policy of Europe
- Of the Rise and Progress of Cities and Towns, After the Fall of the Roman Empire
- II: Of Restraints Upon the Importation from Foreign Countries of Such Goods as Can Be Produced at Home
- Taxes Upon the Profit of Particular Employments
Chapter companion notes
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See The Masters in viii of the wages of labour