Across books · Theme
Greed and Its Consequences
The pursuit of wealth, such as gold and diamonds, drives characters into risky ventures, often leading to ruin, loss, or moral compromise, as seen in the gold-mining episode.
Greed and Its Consequences appears as a literary theme in 5 works in the BetterReads curated set. Each book develops the idea in its own plot, voice, and historical moment — the links below open the book-scoped theme guide beside the text.
The pursuit of wealth, such as gold and diamonds, drives characters into risky ventures, often leading to ruin, loss, or moral compromise, as seen in the gold-mining episode.
Fables like 'The Broken Pot' and 'The Farmer and the Moneylender' warn against excessive greed and foolish planning, showing how avarice leads to ruin or humiliation, a common moral in Indian folklore.
The pursuit of wealth, particularly through the diamond and the Mohune treasure, drives characters to deceit, violence, and ruin, illustrating how greed corrupts and leads to suffering, as seen in Aldobrand's theft and the characters' imprisonment.
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.
Greed motivates the concealment of a will, blackmail, and murder, with characters like Pratt and Esther Mawson scheming for money, ultimately leading to their downfall and destruction.
In each book
allan_quatermain_stories_se
The pursuit of wealth, such as gold and diamonds, drives characters into risky ventures, often leading to ruin, loss, or moral compromise, as seen in the gold-mining episode.
Open theme guide →
indian_fairy_tales_se
Fables like 'The Broken Pot' and 'The Farmer and the Moneylender' warn against excessive greed and foolish planning, showing how avarice leads to ruin or humiliation, a common moral in Indian folklore.
Open theme guide →
moonfleet_se
The pursuit of wealth, particularly through the diamond and the Mohune treasure, drives characters to deceit, violence, and ruin, illustrating how greed corrupts and leads to suffering, as seen in Aldobrand's theft and t
Open theme guide →
the_lady_of_the_barge_se
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 mo
Open theme guide →
the_talleyrand_maxim_se
Greed motivates the concealment of a will, blackmail, and murder, with characters like Pratt and Esther Mawson scheming for money, ultimately leading to their downfall and destruction.
Open theme guide →