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Poetry · Chapter
LI explained
A brief, aphoristic chapter observing the austere virtue of a penniless man who resists the temptation to manipulate markets or acquire monopolies.
What happens
A brief, aphoristic chapter observing the austere virtue of a penniless man who resists the temptation to manipulate markets or acquire monopolies.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Corruption
The chapter contrasts the virtue of the poor man with the corruption of market manipulation and monopoly.
Key passages
“Observe, my son, with how austere a virtue the man without a cent puts aside the temptation to manipulate the market or acquire a monopoly.”
Notice, my child, the stern moral strength of a destitute man who rejects the chance to rig the market or seize a monopoly.
The narrator uses a paternal tone to highlight the irony of moral purity born from poverty.