Death Quote by Elliott Chaze
““She was sitting on the floor, naked, in a skitter of green bills. Beyond her was the custodian, still simpering in death. She was scooping up handfuls of the green money and dropping it on top of her head so that it came sliding down along the cream-colored hair, slipping down along her shoulders and body. She was making a noise I never heard come out of a human being. It was a scream that was a whisper and a laugh that was a cry. Over and over. The noise and the scooping. The slippery, sliding bills against the rigid body. She””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Green Money” (fiction, 2015)
A surreal scene where a woman drenches herself in money, turning wealth into a grotesque performance of excess and suffering.
In simple terms: Money becomes a strange, painful spectacle.
Key Takeaway
Beware of letting wealth dictate identity.
Themes
materialism
surrealism
excess
identity
pain
Mood
disturbing
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- art installations
- performance art
- financial stress
- social commentary
Key Concepts
capitalism critique
visual metaphor
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the money symbolize for the woman?
- How does the scene reflect society’s relationship with wealth?
A Different Perspective
The imagery may glorify self‑destruction rather than critique it.
![“Now that I was rich I worried a lot more than I had [ before ] … Or let's say I didn't worry more, but that I worried harder, because all my life I'd wanted to live lazily and glossily, and now I had it and didn't want it taken away from me. Before I became rich it was only a matter of hanging…” quote by Elliott Chaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a4/elliott-chaze-47223_life_now-that-i-was-rich-i-worried-a-lot-more_2104165.jpg)
