Q7. Flow of Money

[[deleted user]]

One of the intriguing effects of the reverse chronology is that all financial transactions become transformed (Tod "sells" groceries back to the Superette, he removes money from the offering plate). What does the novel seem to be saying about the flow of money?

[[deleted user]]

Not sure on this one, maybe money is transient and financial transactions make no sense either forward or in reverse??

[Kristel]

What I thought but could be very wrong is that Tod, or Odilo collected gold from the teeth which was then turned into money so he could buy his way out of Europe and new life/person in America.

In a backwards world, he takes the money and gets the little gold bars back but really he gave the man the gold and got money and papers.

[John]

I think it is a mistake to try to figure out what Amis was saying about much of anything as this was a concept that he followed through in excessive detail. Yes, how clever to note that we go to the bathroom to get filled up, then vomit out food which we take to grocery stores to exchange for money, which we then give to our employers for the opportunity of working with them.

Which is to say reverse Time's Arrow and life makes no sense. To try to tease rational meaning out of that is a fool's errand.