my lost dollar essay only
Answers
As to why the narrator doesn’t simply ask Todd outright for the money is also interesting. It is possible that the narrator is concerned about how it will look and how he will look should he ask Todd for the dollar. Which if anything would play on the theme of appearance. The narrator does not wish to be judged by Todd in a negative light. He values the friendship yet he would still like the return of his dollar. Something which is problematic for the narrator as eventually the reader realises that the narrator has only two options. He can either directly ask Todd for the dollar or he can accept that Todd won’t be giving him the dollar back. The narrator has a decision to make due to his inability to let go of the fact that he has lent Todd a dollar that he may never see again. If anything the narrator is in a no-win situation. Should he ask for the dollar back he might lose his friendship with Todd. He’ll still have his dollar but it cost him his friendship with Todd. At no stage does the reader feel that the narrator has accepted that the dollar is gone forever. That Todd won’t be paying it back.
The narrator’s generosity also shouldn’t be questioned. He didn’t hesitate to give Todd the dollar when he needed it and was even prepared to lend Todd more than a dollar if he had asked for it. For the narrator the issue is a matter of principle. He believes that everybody should honour their debts though again it is possible that the narrator is being hypocritical. Which may be the point that Leacock is attempting to make. He may be suggesting that the standard that the narrator sets for others. The narrator himself cannot meet these standards. If anything it would be easier for the narrator to accept his loss and forget the fact that Todd will not be paying him back. If he doesn’t accept the loss the narrator’s friendship with Todd could be in jeopardy. It is also noticeable that the narrator is not judging Todd’s character by the fact he owes the narrator a dollar. It is simply an issue which the narrator cannot let go of. If anyone is frustrated by the events that are playing out it is the narrator. Todd is completely unaware of how the narrator is feeling.
The reader also suspects that the narrator’s plans to set up a Back to Honesty movement are driven by the frustration he feels over the dollar. As to whether the movement would be a success is another thing as it would appear that there are no guidelines. Which would leave the movement open to corruption. Though this is not something that the narrator has thought out. His main objective is not repaying others but getting others (Todd) to repay him. At all stages of the story the focus has been on the narrator and the difficulties he felt he has incurred over the loss of his dollar. The fact that the narrator also considers that the ‘greatest nations were built up on the rock basis of absolute honesty’, is admirable. Though it is impractical when it comes to one individual owing another individual money. The narrator himself is being select on who he pays back money to. Being able to justify some loans and yet being hesitant on naming others he might have borrowed money from. Though the narrator might claim he has forgotten about outstanding loans he owes to people ironically he cannot forget the one dollar that Todd owes him. The reader left suspecting that the narrator may not necessarily be telling the truth. Yet he wants honesty from others. Again the narrator is looking for a standard from others that he himself cannot meet.
Answer:
"My Lost Dollar " is a story narrated in first person by the author Stephen Leacock. The one line summary is that he tries in many ways to get back that one dollar he lent his friend Todd for paying his taxi to go to Bermuda. It is made to be funny by using exaggeration on the amount one dollar and on friendship. There is humour made out in the efforts of the author, all efforts going in vain. The author picked a tale of two friends who are found in common place.
The author lends one dollar to Todd in the name of friendship and in kind. After Todd goes to Bermuda, he had not forgotten about it. He expected Todd to return it as soon as he could. But Todd avoids it as if he had forgotten it. After some days, Stephen gets a letter from Todd. He mentioned the temperature in Bermuda but not about the dollar.
When Todd returns to the town after three weeks and then Stephen meets Tedd at the railway station. The author does not explicitly ask for the dollar. Instead he puts in a word that they hire one taxi to go to Montreal. Stephen said that to remind Todd about one dollar he paid for taxi ride to Bermuda. Todd does not agree and then suggests that they walk. So he did not get the hint of the author.
The entire evening they spent talking about Bermuda. All that while Stephen expected Todd to remember the one dollar that he owed him. But he did not explicitly mention that. Perhaps it was the embarrassement in asking directly. It could be that in friendship one should not explicitly ask money lent to friends and that too small amount like a dollar. Perhaps it is a shame to ask directly.
Then he inquires about the currency in Bermuda and its value as compared to the American Dollar. He expected that Todd would remember that one dollar. Todd seemed to have forgotten about that dollar completely. At dinner later, Todd says causually that Poland does not per her debts.
Finally Stephen gives up the dollar from Tedd. He adds the name of Tedd to the list of people owing him one dollar and have forgotten about it. Also, he gets a thought that just as Todd has forgotten to return one dollar, perhaps he himself also forgotten to return money he borrowed from others. He does not remember any names. He wishes to start a Honesty Movement for paying those the odd dollars (small amounts) that he borrowed earlier. Honesty is important. The author leaves a final comment in humour that he did not want Todd to see the copy of the book with this story and read this story.
The moral of the story is that small or big, one should return the money owed to others. That amount may be important for the lender. Further, it gives a great pain to the lender, if the borrower totally forgets about money borrowed. An honest man remembers the help done by friends.