How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
For forty years old Elihu Wilson […] had owned Personville, heart, soul, skin and guts. He was president and majority stock-holder of the Personville Mining Corporation, ditto of the First National Bank, owner of Morning Herald and Evening Herald, the city's only newspapers, and at least part owner of nearly every other enterprise of any importance. Along with these pieces of property he owned a United States senator, a couple of representatives, the governor, the mayor, and most of the state legislature. (1.73)
Due to his vast income, Elihu is able to control nearly every aspect of Poisonville. So in this way, money does talk because he's able to get people to do his every bidding.
Quote #2
"She's money-mad, all right, but somehow you don't mind it. She's so thoroughly mercenary, so frankly greedy, that there's nothing disagreeable about it. You'll understand what I mean when you know her." (3.97)
Albury first introduces us to the character of Dinah Brand, and her greatest passion is of course money. Is her interest in money linked to her status as a woman? Why is having money a means of survival or a luxury for her?
Quote #3
"Money," she explained, "the more the better. I like it."
I became proverbial: "Money saved is money earned. I can save you money and grief."
"That doesn't mean anything to me," she said. (4.37)
It is comical how Dinah isn't at all embarrassed to sound completely mercenary. There's actually something refreshing about her frankness. She doesn't care if people think she's being materialistic. She is blunt almost to a fault.
Quote #4
"It's not so much the money. It's the principle of the thing. If a girl's got something that's worth selling to somebody, she's a boob if she doesn't collect." (4.66)
Dinah is constantly trying to sell information in exchange for cash. Here we see that Dinah thinks that you'd be a fool for not taking advantage of what you have to get what you want. It's interesting that the word "principles" is tied her, for Dinah, to the corruptive influence of money.
Quote #5
"I've got ten thousand dollars of your money to play with. I'm going to use it opening Poisonville up from Adam's apple to ankles." (7.88)
The Op triumphantly reminds Elihu that he's going to use all of Elihu's money to stir things up in Poisonville. Although the Op doesn't keep the money for himself personally, he does need to have access to it in order to complete his mission, which suggests that money has a powerful grip over everyone in the community.
Quote #6
When I started out, seven to four was being offered that Ike Bush would win, and two to three that he would win by a knock-out. By two o'clock none of the joints taking bets were offering anything better than even money, and by half-past three Kid Cooper was a two-to-one favorite. (9.5)
The Op does a masterful job of spreading false information to affect the odds on the Bush and Cooper fighting match. Gambling is yet another sign of the organized crime that spreads out to the rest of the town.
Quote #7
"[Myrtle] had some dough on her. She gave [MacSwain] two hundred and a diamond ring that had cost a fellow named Boyle a thousand. I thought he'd come back for more later, but he didn't." (11.29)
Instances of bribery, like this moment between Myrtle and MacSwain, are perfect examples of how money is used to buy silence and cover up the truth. Interestingly, the Op is able to figure out that MacSwain is the real murderer of Tim by noticing that MacSwain wasn't as greedy about demanding more money as he could have been. Oh the irony!
Quote #8
"I win myself six hundred iron men. […] And then I lose myself that and my own two hundred and some in a crap game. What do you think of that? I pick up six hundred berries like shooting fish, and have to bum four bits for breakfast."
I said it was a tough break but that was the kind of world we lived in. (12.12)
MacSwain tries his hand at gambling and loses all he has. It makes us scratch our head over why gambling is so appealing, especially for those have more to lose. And the only real thing that seems to separate the criminals from the heroes is who gets the lucky break.
Quote #9
"What's it worth to know?"
"Nothing."
"I'll tell you for a hundred bucks."
"I wouldn't want to take advantage of you that way."
"I'll tell you for fifty bucks."
I shook my head.
"Twenty-five." (16.34)
Notice how quickly Dinah drops down her asking price from 100 to 25 bucks in exchange for giving Op information on Noonan? She is so desperate for money that she's sell her information for whatever price the Op agrees on. Is this greed talking or an unhealthy obsession, or both?
Quote #10
"What's the idea of not wanting any of this information I'm offering? Think you can get it cheaper?"
"Information of that kind's not much good to me now. I've got to move quick. I need dynamite to blow them apart." (16.55)
Dinah is so blinded by her obsession with money that all she can think of who might be selling this information for a better price. But of course the Op is only interested in an explosive situation and isn't willing to shell out money on a lead that won't lead anywhere.