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Kaylan Lockrem

Lisa Orta

ENGL 123 - 5008

25 March 2019

Wealth and Power

In Gennifer Choldenko’s young adult novel ​Al Capone Does My Homework​, we are taken

on a journey of life on the island of Alcatraz when it was a functioning prison in the late 1930’s.

According to ​Schmoop​, a new form of critical theory emerged called New Historicism, stressing

the importance of the historical contexts of literary works as these played a role in the production

of the work. One of the New Historicism concepts is paying close attention to materialism and

the material conditions during the time in which the work was written or produced. During the

time in which Choldenko’s story takes place, citizens of the United States were facing one of the

biggest economic crises of our history - The Great Depression. By the year of 1933, about 15

million Americans were unemployed and many banks had failed (History.com). Money became

a foreign object for many people.

The lack of money circulating in business and everyday life caused a major power gap

between those who still had money and those who didn’t. For some of those who didn’t have

money, desperate times called for desperate measures. This was the case for some of the

characters in Choldenko’s novel, especially Donny Caconi, Piper Williams and Darby Trixle.

From counterfeit money schemes to intentionally setting fire to a coworker’s home with children

inside, these characters did what they believed they had to do to in order to obtain the wealth and

power that they wanted.

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In the beginning of the novel, Donny Caconi is introduced as being “everyone’s long-lost

friend” and as the man on the island that everyone liked (Choldenko 5). Not too long after this

introduction, though, Donny’s true colors are revealed when he is caught cheating in a card game

with the associate warden and a guard. From then on, Donny is no longer trusted by either the

children or the adults. After a major counterfeit money scam is rumored to have swept into the

areas around Alcatraz, Alcatraz itself is hit by the scam and Donny turns up being one of the

minds behind the crime. A man who was seen by those around him as sincere and honest took

advantage of this in order to gain money and, in turn, the power that came with it. Money was

scarce and Donny was a prime example of someone who otherwise would’ve been a good and

true man turning to desperate acts in order to gain money and climb back up the ladder of wealth

and power in a time when money and power were what seemed to make a person.

Darby Trixle, a guard at Alcatraz among those who were supposed to be the innocent

ones on the island, was also tied into the crime taking place within the prison system. Although

he was introduced as a character that not many people liked, Darby took matters into his own

hands when it came to trying to steal power from those who were superior to him - especially the

associate warden, Cam Flanagan, who was promoted into the position that Darby wanted. Darby

stole money from the store in which his wife worked in order to pay Donny to set the Flanagan

apartment on fire. The money, which was not easily accessible during the Great Depression,

served as the deciding factor in the carrying out of Darby’s plan as Donny was desperate for

money and seemed willing to do whatever it took in order to gain some into his possession. More

than this, if it were not for having this money, Darby would not have been able to do what he felt

was necessary to gain the power and the position that he wanted. In this instance, money and
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power were directly connected. Power made Darby hatch a plan to sabotage his boss in hopes to

be promoted himself and money made Donny set fire to a home with sleeping children inside, an

otherwise unthinkable act.

Piper Williams served as the best example of just how much power money held over

people and how much power a person could feel when they had money. Even as a child, Piper’s

role model was Al Capone, one of the most famous gangsters in the world. He gained all that he

had through money and “buy[ing]” the people around him who then admired him (Choldenko

13). Piper had left money in the pocket of her dungarees and when she got her laundry back there

was double the amount that she had originally put there. She continued to play this game because

she “thought [she] was lucky” (Choldenko 168). At the young age of thirteen, Piper found

herself in the middle of a counterfeit scheme. She continued to be a part of something that she

knew was wrong because she liked the way that money made her feel, both powerful and

superior to her peers.

Money, or the lack of, during the Great Depression affected all people, young and old.

This part of history is important in analyzing this story as many of the characters within

Choldenko’s novel ​Al Capone Does My Homework​ acted in ways that were inspired by money

and the want for money within a world that seemed to be lacking this very thing. Money and the

power that came with it cause multiple characters to act outside of their usual selves, pushing

them to hurt others and perform illegal activities. Without the lens of New Historicism and the

consideration of the material conditions of this time period, the actions and characterization of

many of the novel’s characters would be incomplete and, most likely, inaccurate and without a

true explanation. Choldenko sheds light on how material things, such as money, can have such a
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powerful impact on the people who have them or want to have them and how they can,

ultimately, change the person for the worst both in their actions, thoughts, and feelings.

Works Cited

Editors, History.com. “Great Depression History.” ​History.com​, A&E Television Networks, 29

Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history.

Choldenko, Gennifer. ​Al Capone Does My Homework.​ Hot Key Books, 2014.

Shmoop Editorial Team. “New Historicism Buzzwords.” ​Shmoop,​ Shmoop University, 11 Nov.

2008, www.shmoop.com/new-historicism/buzzwords.html.