The Girl and the $250 Shirt

A week ago, while on a mandatory trip to the King of Prussia Mall during a summer program at Penn, my friend commented on another shopper, a girl who also participated in our program. He pointed over in her direction and remarked, “That shirt she bought cost $250.” After rolling my eyes at the outrageous cost of the article of clothing, my friend continued, “See, Meghan, that’s why people think making a lot of money is so important; they want to buy an image.” Similarly, in her 1977 novel, Song of Solomon, Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison highlights the greed of both the wealthy and the poor following the discovery of a characters’ alleged possession of gold. Milkman, the son of a greedy landlord, Macon, and his poor friend, Guitar, decide to steal the gold from Macon’s sister, following persuasion from Macon. By discussing this situation, Morrison explains her view that individuals place too great of a value on money.  For example, when Milkman reveals the existence of the gold to Guitar, Morrison states that Guitar could not “resist the lure of…money” (181). The novelist emphasizes the denotation of “lure” to stress that due to the opportunities for a heightened status and lavish possessions that money provides, poor individuals, such as Guitar, value money. Similarly, when a disappointed Macon discovers that his son did not steal the gold from his sister, Milkman accuses his father of “‘thinking about that gold for 50 years’” (205). By noting Macon’s current prosperity, Morrison indirectly characterizes him as greedy and emphasizes the allure of money for the well-to-do. Furthermore, by employing a critical tone, the novelist assesses that individuals value money more than they should and condemns the greed that overprizing money causes. Moreover, Morrison highlights a conversation between Guitar and Milkman, in which Guitar confesses, “can’t nobody fly with all that s*** [jewelry, vanity]” (179). Morrison emphasizes her view of flight as a conquering of obstacles and refusal to submit individual power to stress that an obsession with money presents great ramifications. Namely, greed and obsession with status limits success and an individual’s power. Overall, I agree with Morrison and her view of the world. However, I amend that people do not overvalue money, but the sense of power they feel when they hold a $100 bill. But, like Morrison, I believe that this obsession prevents flight by creating dependence on those who can fuel the fixation. Specifically, the girl with the $250 shirt, whose father replenishes her debit account.