THE IMPACT OF MONEY MATTERS ON THE CHARACTERS IN MURIEL SPARK’S NOVEL THE BALLAD OF PECKHAM RYE

Abstract

Money matters exert a considerable influence on man’s life-style, social
rank and his relationship with other people. This paper aims at exploring the impact
of money matters on the characters’ inner feelings, social status, and personal
relationships in Muriel Spark’s modern novel The Ballad Of Peckham Rye. This
paper aspires to show that Spark’s subtle portrayal of characters reveals the
dominance of money matters over human and social relationships.
Muriel Spark ( 1918-2006) is a modern Scottish novelist whose wit and
detached sense of humour has brought her prolific body of both popular and critical
acclaim. Spark is interested not in building suspense but in exploring the moral
significance of the characters’ actions. In addition, she chooses to depict the
characters in her novels as individuals rather than as types; and she believes that it
is the artist’s job to reveal the truth about the characters . Thus, Spark exposes the
weaknesses and moral corruption of the characters as they confront with the reality
of their existence. In an interview broadcasted by the B. B.C, Spark explains that
there is a truth or a serious theme behind her fictional works and characters:
I don’t claim that my novels are truth . . .I claim that they are fiction,
out of which a kind of truth emerges. . . because I am interested in truthabsolute
truth. . . there is a metaphorical truth and a moral truth.