Sammy Wilhelm Seize The Day Essay

In Saul Bellow’s Seize the Day, Tommy Wilhelm goes through a finical crisis and is struggling emotionally with his circumstances throughout the novel. There is a common theme of evil being associated with money that is traced throughout the novel but can be interpreted in different ways. While it can be said that money is a source of evil, I believe that this is only partially correct. There tends to be a lot of evil surrounding money, but the currency itself isn’t the cause. It’s generated by how humans handle money. People can use currency how it was intended, but many get obsessed with the idea of wealth and would do anything to acquire more. It is this idolization of money that contributes to a negative connotation around money. Instances

It’s human nature to believe that the money you earn is yours and that you have every right to keep it to yourself. This leads to hoarding and a refusal to donate or lend money to help those less fortunate than yourself. There are many who do not think in this manner and are generous and caring, but there are still Scrooges who are selfish with what they have. This can be seen when Tommy desperately asks his father for help towards the end of the novel. Dr. Adler, his father, responds with, “You want to make yourself into my cross. But I am not going to pick up a cross. I’ll see you dead, Wilky, by Christ, before I let you do that to me.” (106) Dr. Adler is so self-centered that he denies his son any financial help on the basis that he doesn’t want to carry someone else’s financial burden. Even though Dr. Adler is wealthy and can support his son during his time of need, the doctor refuses to part with his money in a selfish effort to keep his boat more financially stable while his son Tommy is drowning. Dr. Adler’s selfishness shows that when people are extremely stingy with their money, and consider it too highly, their actions can become

A common example today is when a spouse takes up extra hours to earn more money and can’t spend as much time with their significant other. There are also many confrontations within a relationship that are caused by financial strain. This can be seen in a similar form within the story. Tommy has left his wife but has a hard time divorcing her due to her increasing demands for money. He complains about the situation, saying, “The lawyers-see?-draw up an agreement and she says okay on Monday and wants more money on Tuesday. And it begins again.” (45) This marriage was already damaged, but Margaret’s unfair demand for money forced the relationship to become unsalvageable. These unreasonable demands negatively affect Tommy, who says things like, “a husband like me is a slave” (45) and “’Margaret, go easy on me. You ought to. I’m at the end of my rope and feel that I’m suffocating.’” (110) Margaret cared more about money than her husband, ruined her marriage, and hurt her husband in the process. This shows how people’s behavior towards money can result in evil