Many of our interactions with media can be linked to money. Two series I had recently watched or read that had an element of money in them were Hunter x Hunter and Six of Crows. The latter is a fantasy book series, one which is set in the money-driven city of Ketterdam (at least, partially) and a large part of the story is dedicated to the power money has within the society. It’s interesting watching how money fits into a world where magic exists, and how it still persists as a major power no matter the setting. Hunter x Hunter also deals with money in a way, with the character of Leorio, who is seeking to become a doctor. His dream is basically to cure patients free of charge, but it’s hard to do that when everything costs money, so he risks his life on a dangerous exam in order to make it work. “With money you can buy anything . . . even people’s lives!” And in this scenario, there’s the message of how a corrupt health care system, one which operates on money, can essentially buy people’s lives. The fantasy aspect of the story puts things into perspective somehow. How would we react if a different world operated under the same principles we do?
Engagement:
Six of Crows has a lot of words, so I would argue that picking a few specific passages that stood out to me would be a good place to start. I’d look into the various ways Leigh Bardugo keeps her fantasy economy realistic amidst all the magic, and how the magic of the world influences the economy aspect in a manner that makes sense. I would also focus on how the characters react to monetary value, and how Leigh’s descriptions of the effects incite a reaction within the reader. As for contextual analysis, I would probably draw heavily from the current state of the economy, what with capitalism and all that. For the Hunter x Hunter analysis in particular, I would definitely look into corruption within the healthcare industry specifically. I might think about researching the healthcare in late 1990’s Japan in particular, as that’s where the author would’ve lived while writing and drawing the series. Six of Crows would probably benefit from a similar look into the historical perspective of places like Russia, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands.
Writing and Money 