Self-Reflection
Looking through my index, I’m not surprised I spoke of “money” often. However, I didn't expect to write about “identity” as much as I did. Initially, I expected to write about finances and the repercussions of economic bonds - the name of the course is “Literature and Financial Imagination.” But looking through my reader responses, I’m noticing just how connected to identity money really is and how interested in the topic I have become. Whether it be A Christmas Carol or The Merchant of Venice, the topic who one’s self really is in relation to their spending habits or economic bonds is prevalent. I would say that this very connection is one of the most notable things I’ve learned to understand throughout the course. The connection, or lack there of, between who you are and what you have. For Belford, what he had and owned were symbols of the identity he wanted to project the world. Bartleby had no identity and thus owned nearly nothing, not even a bed. In Sense and Sensibility, the entire social status and way of living of our main characters are altered due to changes in their financial status. For Equiano, being able to identify himself as a free man hinged on the money he was able to earn. While many important topics were discussed in this class - the importance of getting things in writing, especially - the most valuable lessons came from the exploration of money’s connection of identity.
