'Interpretation Of The Rich Brother'

There are many interpretations when it comes to the word rich. One could be rich in intellect or possibly rich in loving others. Authors often use these different definitions to make a reader think more when reading a story. When reading the title of the story, "The Rich Brother,” many readers will first assume that Pete is the rich brother because of his monetary wealth; conversely, a deeper analyzation of the story reveals that Donald is the rich brother because of the author’s non-stereotypical interpretation of the word “rich.” In the first paragraph, the author tells the reader of Pete’s monetary wealth when it says he “worked hard and made a lot of money.” From this sentence alone, the audience can clearly see that Pete fits the definition of rich in the monetary sense. The paragraph goes on to describe Pete’s brother Donald as becoming “deeper in debt to Pete” when he was unable to find work. Most readers decide at this point that Pete is obviously the “rich brother” because of what the author has revealed. This far into the story, the author has not clearly defined his definition of who the “rich brother” is yet; that is why the stereotypical interpretation this far is to believe he is implying that Pete is the one mentioned in the title.

The audience is able to clearly see Donald’s irrational side when the duo plucks a man named Webster off from the side of the road. He then tells the brothers that he had found “A vein of gold greater than the Mother Lode itself.” Pete then asks Donald to drive; however, when Pete wakes up, Webster is gone with the hundred dollars Pete gifted to Donald at the beginning of the story. Pete goes on to berate his brother by making it clear that Donald “really will believe anything at all” and has no common sense. Is the author alluding that an abundance in intellect is what makes a man