Caitlynn Mendelssohn

English 123

03/23/20

Money Hungry
In Gennifer ​Choldenko’s young adult fiction novel, ​Al Capone Does My Homework​ there
is a connection between materialism, a aspect of new historicism and characterization, an
element of fiction which helps highlight the aspect of materialism in the text. Choldenko sets the
scene on Alcatraz, a small isolated island while in the 1930’s during one of the most struggling
times, the great depression. By choosing a secluded place, Choldenko gives the readers the
advantage of being able to focus on the plot and select characters more, rather than introducing
more characters or changing settings each scene.
New historicism in ​Al Capone Does My Homework​ is represented by materialism. During
the great depression, people had little to begin with and it was harder for them to make money
once it struck. Most of the characters were in need of money, and while Mr. Flanagan, Moose’s
father, joins the prison workforce Moose still wishes there was a way for him to help bring
money into the house for his family. On Alcatraz Island Moose befriends the other children, one
being Piper, the warden’s daughter. Piper’s family lived comfortably on the island and Moose
notices this when touring their house. He spots a new cake mixer and is in awe, making
comments about how the rich don’t even mix their own cake. For Moose, seeing this cake mixer
is new because in his family, his mom is forced to give piano lessons to make money. This being
in a time where women typically didn’t work, shows how poor the Flanagan’s really were during
the Great Depression. Although when presented with an opportunity to join a group and make
some money by ring leader Piper, he still refuses knowing it’s morally wrong. These factors are
all important to the element of materialization because it shows the comparison between the
“rich” and the “poor” and how they coexisted with each other on the tiny prison island.
Piper is characterized mainly by the fact that her dad is the main prison warden. Enabling
her to start the ponzi laundry scheme, be respected amongst the children, and obtain an
authoritative figure to her classmates. Piper comes up with this idea and hatches a ponzi laundry
scheme and recruits the other children though Moose declines. According to Moose, “Piper isn’t
my favorite person on the whole island but her father's been a warden her whole life,” (11). This
appears that Piper has taken a following after her father and taken on some of his traits that
helped him become warden. It also tells us that Piper has grown up with this comfort of being the
warden’s daughter. Another instance that showcases Piper’s abilities on the island is when she
pays Theresa to deliver messages for her, “She pays me, I do what she desires,” (18) Theresa
tells Moose when he asks why Piper can’t deliver the message herself. If Piper’s dad was not the
warden, it’s doubtful that she would be able to be a leader, pay people off or control her peers
and the other children of Alcatraz.
 Warden Williams, Piper’s dad, was the head warden of the prison on Alcatraz Island.
This position came with lots of power and wealth compared to the other positions at the prison.
When Moose originally meets the warden he remembers, “he sounds annoyed, like I’ve flunked
his first test and his eyes poke into me.” Warden Williams was an intimidating man and because
of his wealth and position he was able to make decisions. As when he discovers Piper’s laundry
scheme he just ignores Piper’s involvement and blames the other children. If he wasn’t the
warden Piper would have gotten into trouble, but he was in the highest position and therefore
able to do what he saw fit. Although he didn’t flaunt his money the Warden’s character was
based around the fact he was able to live with power because of his wealth.
Another example of wealth influencing one’s character is shown in Choldenko’s
character, Darby Trixle. Darby has been working at Alcatraz and Moose describes him as if he,
“was born in a uniform, one size too tight,” (4). As a reader this made me imagine an
overweight, mean, kind of greasy prison guard. Darby is extremely jealous of Moose’s dad, Mr.
Flanagan, for landing a higher up job at the prison as assistant warden. Darby feels as if he is
deserving of the position and the salary that comes with it. In spite of Mr. Flannagan and in an
act of undeserving revenge, he has someone light the Flanagan's apartment on fire for which Mr.
Flannagan’s autisistic daughter, Natalie is blamed. This shows that in the time when everyone
was striving to have more money, they would do anything even if no results were promised. This
incident led me to think that the characters were essentially formed around the different emotions
that came with being money hungry. Darby was jealous of Mr. Flanagan so he found it
appropriate to hire an arsonist to exhibit his feelings. This is an explicit example of how the want
for money or materialism can influence one’s behavior or characterization.
Gennifer Choldenko’s novel ​Al Capone Does My Homework​ does a detailed job at
providing examples of how materialism can influence characterization in a young adult novel.
She uses setting and place to give us a secluded group of characters on Alcatraz, which helps the
reader stay on track and dive deeper into those given personalities. From using children, to
individuals, to whole families, Choldenko takes into account how each of these can be
characterized differently, but all while staying along the same concept which is materialism
dictates characters behaviors and personalities.