Greed in the 21st Century
The commonality between modern greed and Dante’s perception of avarice is that both of them stem from an inability to resist financial gain. Kathryn McGaugh’s painting communicates how individuals succumb to and become metaphorically enslaved to greed (see figure 4). Greed is now thought of as being heavily influenced by societal norms regarding the procurement of wealth. This can be seen in McGaugh’s painting of the sin of greed, in which the central female figure has a collar inscribed with the word “Mammon,” a biblical term describing the evil influence of wealth. The collar has a chain leash attached, which is held by a green demonic presence that wraps itself around her and serves as a personification of greed and its consuming nature. Physically restraining the female character clearly represents how greed and capitalism are controlling forces. Similarly to figure 3, the hellish characterization of greed emphasizes how the value is the antithesis of virtue and holiness.
Additionally, the female character is playing the popular board game Monopoly, which centers around encouraging financially greedy behaviors in order to win the game. The corruption from the green devil of greed is evident as she embodies the spirit of the game by physically hoarding houses and property by clutching them close to her chest. She also aggressively attempts to fist as much money as possible with her other hand. McGaugh further establishes the connection between capitalistic greed and reality by enlarging game pieces, such as the metal top hat adorning the woman’s head and the Scottie dog next to her, as a way to express how deeply immersed she has become in the game and consequently its avaricious morals. Thus, she depicts how the female character is no longer simply playing a game but that the money-hungry premise of the game has manifested into her life and become her reality. McGaugh successfully portrays how the abstract values of greed, which have been normalized in modern media, have transcended to become ingrained into real everyday life.
Martin Scorsese’s film The Wolf of Wall Street has become a notorious inspiration for those in the financial industry to harbor traits of greed as it is depicted as an admirable trait. The film effectively communicates a relationship between greed and monetary gain by dramatizing the real-life story of Jordan Belford, one of Wall Street’s most famous financial scammers. By framing success as resulting from avaricious behaviors, the film encourages the indulgence of greed. The film effectively promotes a relationship between greed and sex, drugs, fame, and extreme monetary gain. The scene depicted in figure 5 sums up Belford’s avariciousness and embracement of these values. He is surrounded by sex workers, alcohol, and a band to celebrate himself and his greedy actions.
Despite Belford’s illegal and avaricious behaviors, his sentencing is portrayed as a mere slap on the wrist. This depiction in the film reflects the reality of the direct correlation in society between excessive wealth and being rewarded by the government through otherwise unattainable privileges. Thus further encouraging and glorifying avaricious behaviors as it is shown how they are rewarded in our society.
The film concludes with Belford addressing a large audience of young finance students who aspire to emulate his greedy, money-hungry self. The inspiration to embody Belford’s likeness has transgressed the fictional audience in the film, as many in the general public genuinely idolize him. By highly glorifying his story, the line between entertainment and reality becomes blurred to the audience, communicating a message that achieving Belford’s lifestyle is not only admirable but attainable and consequently encourages his behaviors.