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| He was always desperate for more money. What happened to him? He was on a ship that blew up. |
Both novels feature character's who desire for huge amounts of wealth, and upon obtaining it, use it to destroy their lives. In War and Peace, Boris sacrifices his fiance whom he actually possesses love for in the name of marrying into a rich family. Meanwhile, Boris sacrifices his childhood friends in favour of obtaining the fondness of his superiors and thus getting a higher military position. Similarly, Pip sacrifices his family and friends in favour of recieving wealth, power, and the potential to be with Estella. However, despite obtaining that which they "desire" both end up unhappy with their lot in life. Pip states how he feels he might have been happier if he had never seen the face of Miss Havisham. He may be right. Together the authors seem to show one particular driving aspect of human nature that is not always correct.
Greed.
There are many famous phrases that speak of greed and its effects. For example, "You never know what you have until you've lost it." Both characters think they have so much to gain, yet once getting it they realize how much they had to lose to obtain it. It was not until too late that they realized how many heads they had used as crutches as they brutally stuck their spiked boots into them on their quests to climb the wall. Many of those heads which happened to have belonged to their friends, unprepared for the pain which accompanied their leaving. Not only does greed hurt those who pursue their desires to recklessly, it also hurts those who are related to them. A very destructive force indeed.
Interestingly, one of the few characters who did end up happy at the end of War and Peace was Pierre, another person who had obtained a large fortune in the story. Funny fact though, they didn't attempt to get it, but rather got it from the decease of their (fairly beloved) father. After some philosophical readjustment early in the book, they didn't use much of their wealth for their own personal gains, but rather for charitable concerns. I won't go down into the folly of what happened there, but his money didn't go purely for his own personal gain. Would Pip have been happier if we hadn't become so consumed with his own wealth, spending only for the sake of spending? I personally suspect yes, but who knows.
Both novels focus much on the appraised and actual value of both social standing and money. This is likely due to a time period when they were written where social lines were clearly drawn. Many would propose that this means the book is irrelevent to culture today where there is no easily drawn class comparisons between today and back then. However, remember that in those days, class and money were directly proportionate, and being "rich" is still a big deal today.
Overall I feel both novels focus majorly on greed and how it affects everyone's lives. You spend your life always wanting, yet do you actually think you'll be happy when you get it, or will you only find destructiveness take that empty spot in your heart? I think its clear what the novel tries to teach us.
Thats all for now. Tune in next time for... War and Peace, an Unambiguously Ingenuous Interpretation of Androgynous Vegetables Substantiating the Proclamation of the Customary Practice of Deliberately Cauterizing Those Who Pose Themselves in a Position to Forestall Your Incursion Into the Business World Possessing the Determination and Purpose to Bring it Under Your Control- Brought to you by AaronINC
-Aaron
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