Maybe it's not about the money, money, money for Jessie J, but it sure is for Tommy Wilhelm in Seize the Day. His company promised him a promotion, but gave it to someone else. His wife makes endless demands for child support. His elderly father is sitting on a fortune, but he won't share. On top of all that, Wilhelm can see that the wealthy get respect while the poor get contempt. Even his own father seems ashamed of his dwindling bank account. They say that clothes make the man, but Wilhelm feels sure that it's wealth that really matters, not threads.
Questions About Wealth
- How well-off was Wilhelm, before he left his wife and lost his job? If you had to categorize him in a class, what class would you choose?
- Is Wilhelm right to think that his father would love him more if he was rich? Does the novel's narrator give us any reason to doubt Wilhelm's perspective on this?
- Wilhelm's money has been running low for weeks. Has he been living frugally in the meantime? How often do we see him spending money throughout the novel, and what kinds of things does he buy?
Chew on This
Although Wilhelm believes that Dr. Adler loves money, and would love his own son more if he had money too, he is wrong. It isn't money that Dr. Adler loves and respects: what he values is the wisdom and maturity to manage it.
Wilhelm tells Tamkin that he doesn't need much to live on: that he only wants to meet his obligations, and live a modestly comfortable life. However, Wilhelm's history casts doubt on these claims. He spent his money on luxuries back when he had it, and there's no reason to believe that he wouldn't do the same again.