More Than Just Monetary Value In Michael Crichton's The Great Train
More Than Just Monetary Value For centuries, the upper class has led meaningless lives hollowed from the boredom of everyday luxuries and privileges. Although wealth grants access to desires and necessities, it deprives the upper class of the liveliness and sense of meaning that comes from working for such commodities. In Michael Crichton’s novel, The Great Train Robbery, Edwards Pierce’s motive for committing the crime of the century derives from his desire to find a sense of meaning to his tedious, upscale life while inflicting punishment on the greedy. The great train robbery not only gave meaning to an empty life grown from opulence but left a detrimental mark on the greedy. Pierce did not care for the monetary value of his crime since
he was already wealthy and “the sum of money stolen was large, but not unprecedented” (Crichton xi). He was looking for much more: a meaning to his life that would betray the stereotypes of the wealthy and leave behind a “startling and titillating” impression on society. “The very idea of a highborn gentleman adopting a life of crime” was Pierce’s gateway (Crichton 5). He wanted to successfully perform “the greatest theft of his career” to separate himself from the upper class (Crichton 7). In committing this crime, Pierce not only found meaning but inflicted punishments upon the greedy Henry Fowler and Mr. Edgar Trent. Following Pierce’s crime, “Mr. Fowler was obviously intoxicated and Mr. Trent was suffering pains in the chest” (Crichton 230). The two wealthy men who filled up the void in their lives with devotion to work were facing the consequences of the deadly sin, pride. Within three years of the crime, “Mr. Trent died of a chest ailment” and “Henry fowler died of ‘unknown causes’” (Crichton 265). It is through Pierce’s lack of importance placed on the monetary value, his desire to break free from the ingroup of the upper class, and his desire to punish the greedy that Pierce’s motive for the crime is developed. While finding meaning to his life of riches and punishing the greedy, Pierce discovers a motive to performing the crime of the century. As Pierce attempts to separate himself from the greedy upper class by giving his void life meaning, he startles and shocks society with the great train robbery. In completing the greatest theft of his career, Pierce successfully fills the hollow in his luxurious life.
he was already wealthy and “the sum of money stolen was large, but not unprecedented” (Crichton xi). He was looking for much more: a meaning to his life that would betray the stereotypes of the wealthy and leave behind a “startling and titillating” impression on society. “The very idea of a highborn gentleman adopting a life of crime” was Pierce’s gateway (Crichton 5). He wanted to successfully perform “the greatest theft of his career” to separate himself from the upper class (Crichton 7). In committing this crime, Pierce not only found meaning but inflicted punishments upon the greedy Henry Fowler and Mr. Edgar Trent. Following Pierce’s crime, “Mr. Fowler was obviously intoxicated and Mr. Trent was suffering pains in the chest” (Crichton 230). The two wealthy men who filled up the void in their lives with devotion to work were facing the consequences of the deadly sin, pride. Within three years of the crime, “Mr. Trent died of a chest ailment” and “Henry fowler died of ‘unknown causes’” (Crichton 265). It is through Pierce’s lack of importance placed on the monetary value, his desire to break free from the ingroup of the upper class, and his desire to punish the greedy that Pierce’s motive for the crime is developed. While finding meaning to his life of riches and punishing the greedy, Pierce discovers a motive to performing the crime of the century. As Pierce attempts to separate himself from the greedy upper class by giving his void life meaning, he startles and shocks society with the great train robbery. In completing the greatest theft of his career, Pierce successfully fills the hollow in his luxurious life.