Money and Manipulation Theme Analysis

Good Morning, Midnight illustrates how money can be both powerful and utterly meaningless in a person’s life. In some ways, money transforms Sasha’s life, since there are periods in which she desperately needs cash to support herself. As a result, it’s a big deal whenever she’s able to track down some money to borrow, since doing so allows her to stop constantly worrying about how she’ll get by. In another sense, though, the money she’s so eager to secure inevitably fails to bring her any kind of lasting happiness or purpose in life. Despite her attempts to ward off sadness by buying expensive clothes or making pricey trips to the hairdresser, she always feels disappointed after the rare opportunity to spend lavishly. And yet, her disappointment doesn’t stop her from lusting after money when she doesn’t have it, as she romanticizes the mere idea of wealth. Of course, it’s easy to understand why she idealizes money so much, especially considering that everyone around her is obsessed with it, too. In fact, a vast majority of the interactions recounted in the novel have to do with money, and many of these encounters involve someone trying to get money from someone else. Sasha herself shows suspicion toward René because she thinks that all he wants from her is some money. And while this might be the case, he doesn’t end up taking any cash from her when he gets the chance. The ambiguity surrounding this aspect of their relationship hints at the complex ways in which money can interfere with human relationships. It’s never entirely clear whether or not René wants money from Sasha, and this uncertainty creates an undeniable tension in their relationship. The book therefore suggests not only that money can’t buy happiness, but also that it can complicate certain emotional bonds, forcing people to doubt each other in ways that make it harder to forge a genuine connection.

There’s a conflation in the book between loneliness or unhappiness and a lack of financial stability. As Sasha walks through the streets one night, she looks at the houses she passes and feels lonely. It makes sense that she feels this way, considering that she is alone and walking through a large city at night. However, she blames part of her melancholy on the fact that she doesn’t have much money, thinking, “Walking in the night with the dark houses over you like monsters. If you have money and friends, houses are just houses with steps and a front-door—friendly houses […].” Because she doesn’t have money, though, the houses she sees seem ominous and foreboding. The implication is that she feels out of place in the fancier neighborhoods of Paris. She’s not wealthy, so she has to stay in dim hotel rooms, making the idea of living in a nice house seem unattainable. Cut off from the possibility of leading the life of a Parisian homeowner, she feels even more isolated and alone.

However, Sasha also knows that money won’t automatically bring happiness, even if she frequently romanticizes the idea of leading a wealthy, lavish life. When she actually has money, she seems perfectly aware that it won’t make her happy. For example, when her friend gives her enough money to live comfortably for a short stay in Paris, she only feels exuberant and optimistic for a brief moment, thinking, “Some money to spend and nothing to worry about.” She then immediately tells herself to be “careful,” noting that she shouldn’t get “excited.” In this moment, she seems hesitant to believe that financial stability can address emotional problems—money isn’t a quick fix, and she seems well aware of the fact that her sadness could come creeping back at any time, regardless of whether or not she has some cash. And she’s right: it isn’t long before she ventures onto the streets of Paris and becomes overwhelmed by sorrow. Oddly enough, though, knowing that money can’t buy happiness doesn’t stop her from romanticizing the life of a rich person, especially when she feels like she doesn’t have enough money. When she decides to look for a new hotel room, for instance, she latches onto the idea of renting the nicest room in the establishment. She even thinks that she will “exist on a different plane” if she can get this fancy room, suggesting that she thinks her entire life will change. There is, then, a “grass is greener” mentality at play in the novel, as Sasha acknowledges that money won’t create true contentment but still yearns for it when she doesn’t have it.

Furthermore, the mere idea of money puts a strain on many of the interactions between characters in Good Morning, Midnight. Almost everyone Sasha meets either obsesses over protecting their money or tries to manipulate others into giving them cash. For example, Sasha meets a man one day and has a fantastic time with him in a hotel bar, but when she offhandedly mentions that she hasn’t eaten in three weeks, he abruptly abandons her, clearly thinking that she’s poor and just wants to use him for his money. The entire encounter illustrates the ways in which money can make people deeply suspicious of each other. It also foreshadows the tension that arises between Sasha and René, whom Sasha worries is a sex worker who is only interested in her because he thinks she’s rich and gullible. Throughout the novel, it remains unclear whether or not Sasha’s suspicion about René is justified, and this uncertainty allows readers to feel the same sense of doubt and mistrust that Sasha herself feels. The ambiguity surrounding their dynamic thus demonstrates both that money can make people suspicious of each other and that—unfortunately—there’s often good reason for such suspicion.