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Literary notes about money (AI summary)

In literature, the word "money" is not merely a marker of wealth but a multifaceted symbol that can evoke magic, power, morality, and even destiny. In some works, money takes on a mystical quality—as seen in Frazer’s account of a devilish bargain [1]—where it is tied to supernatural forces, while in others, it underscores stark social realities and personal conflicts, such as Chekhov’s portrayal of familial coercion [2] or the intricate negotiations in Agatha Christie’s mysteries [3]. Authors like Dickens and Shakespeare use money to explore themes of greed, trust, and betrayal [4, 5], whereas in texts by Dostoyevsky and Conrad, it embodies the corruption or transactional nature of human relationships [6, 7]. Thus, across diverse genres and historical periods, "money" serves both as a literal necessity and a potent metaphor for the values, ambitions, and contradictions of society.
  1. In Styria they say that by gathering fern-seed on Christmas night you can force the devil to bring you a bag of money.
    — from The Golden Bough: A Study of Magic and Religion by James George Frazer
  2. My mother used to give me money and sweets not to smoke.
    — from Project Gutenberg Compilation of Short Stories by Chekhov by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov
  3. “And then you thought you would get more money by coming to London, I suppose?
    — from The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
  4. They all spoke of sums of money, and only mentioned the sums and left the money to be understo
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
  5. Here is the money.
    — from The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
  6. The money!
    — from The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
  7. I must have the money even if I die for it.”
    — from Dead Souls by Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol

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