My Lost Dollar by Stephen Leacock Essay

Introduction:

Stephen Leacock's short story "My Lost Dollar" is a witty and entertaining tale that follows the narrator, a businessman, on his quest to get his friend Todd to pay back a one dollar loan. Along the way, he encounters a series of comical misadventures, including being swindled by a fraudulent money lender and getting lost in a strange city. The story is not just a lighthearted tale, however, as Leacock also uses it as a means of offering a satirical critique of the greed and corruption that can be found in modern society. Through the narrator's experiences, Leacock cleverly combines humor with social commentary, making "My Lost Dollar" a delightful and thought-provoking read.

Theme:

The theme of "My Lost Dollar" by Stephen Leacock is the idea of honesty and the moral guilt that comes with defaulting on debts, even small ones. The story follows the narrator's struggle to get his friend Todd to pay back a one dollar loan, and how this simple act of forgetting to repay a debt causes the narrator to reflect on the importance of honesty in personal relationships and in society as a whole. The story ultimately suggests that honesty is a crucial foundation for any individual or nation that wishes to be great.

Summary:

In the story, the narrator describes a situation where Todd has borrowed a dollar from him and has not returned it after a year. The narrator reflects on his own tendency to remember when someone owes him money and the fact that Todd seems to have completely forgotten about the borrowed dollar. Despite this, the narrator states that he does not hold any ill will towards Todd and that their friendship will not be affected by the outstanding debt. However, he expresses that he cannot forget about the borrowed dollar and that he will remember it for the rest of his life.

The narrator shares that whenever he meets Todd, he realizes that Todd has forgotten about the borrowed dollar and that he will never get it back. He reflects on his own tendency to remember when someone owes him money and how, if anyone borrows a dollar from him, he will carry the recollection of it to the grave. He describes how Todd borrowed the dollar from him on a specific date, just as he was about to leave for Bermuda, and how Todd meant to pay it back at the time. However, when Todd returned from his trip, he seemed to have completely forgotten about the borrowed dollar. The narrator mentions that he has met Todd frequently since the borrowing incident and that Todd has not brought up the subject of the dollar or shown any sign of remembering it.

In addition to the situation with Todd, the narrator also mentions other instances of borrowing and lending money, including borrowing small amounts for things like a taxi ride or a bottle of pain soda. He emphasizes his efforts to pay back debts, but also mentions that there are certain debts, such as the thirty cents owed for the pain soda, that he feels have been sufficiently paid through other means.

The narrator also contemplates the possibility that there may be people who have lent him money that he has forgotten about and asks for those people to come forward. He mentions that he has a tendency to remember when he is owed money and that he keeps a list of people who owe him money. However, he also acknowledges that if he had once forgotten a dollar that he owed to someone, he would likely never pay it back.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, "My Lost Dollar" is a humorous and thought-provoking short story that portrays the narrator's thoughts and feelings on borrowing and lending money and the importance of remembering and paying back debts. The story centers around the narrator's relationship with his friend Todd, who has borrowed a dollar from him and has not returned it after a year. The narrator reflects on their own tendency to remember when someone owes them money and the fact that Todd seems to have completely forgotten about the borrowed dollar. Despite this, the narrator states that he does not hold any ill will towards Todd and that their friendship will not be affected by the outstanding debt. However, he expresses that he cannot forget about the borrowed dollar and that he will remember it for the rest of his life.

Through the narrator's experiences, Leacock cleverly combines humor with social commentary to present a critique of the greed and corruption that can be found in modern society. The story ultimately suggests that honesty is a crucial foundation for any individual or nation that wishes to be great. "My Lost Dollar" is a delightful and thought-provoking read that showcases Leacock's wit and satirical writing style.