The Purple Rose of Cairo

In the movie The Purple Rose of Cairo there are many inanimate objects. Each object has its own meaning and significance to the plot and characters of the movie. I chose to explore the inanimate object of money. The theme of money is shown throughout the movie. We first see money when Cecilia’s husband is playing with pennies outside of their house. The use of pennies shows that they are poor and that there are no jobs available. The no jobs available show also the time period that the movie is set, which is the during the depression. The depression also has to do with money, because there was not a lot of money around and they had to savor every penny. Another time that we see money is when Cecilia and Tom are out to a fancy restaurant, and he tries to pay using fake money. This shows that in his world, the “movie world” money does not matter and there is no real value to anything. Then when they have to dine and dash it shows also of the depression and how they can not even afford a meal. Another time that money is used discreetly is when Gil the actor shows up in his fancy clothes and how he took a plane to get there and when he buys Cecilia a ukulele. This shows his wealth and how he will spend money on anything to get what he wants. Money in this movie represents the different worlds that the characters live in. Gil lives in a world where he has money and can do anything he wants, and he has a job. Tom lives in a world, where money has no real value and the worth of things are not important. Cecilia lives in a world, where she is scrapping up money for food, and needs to find a job, and goes to the movies to escape from reality of sadness and no money. Throughout the film money is shown and used to show the different worlds and societies that each one of the characters live in.