Piglia's Money to Burn

In Piglia's Money to Burn, despite the questionable translation by Amanda Hopkinson, is in one aspect, about a band of thieves committing a heist. But perhaps the real thieves, as Piglia represents with his epigraph, is the corrupt society in which they live. As a lens through which to read the novel, this Brecht epigraph brings into question the reliability of this money. Is Piglia trying to insinuate that because the money from the banks is tainted with corruption and capitalism, it should get stolen and ultimately burned? It seems to evoke the most basic theme: nothing material truly matters. We give certain things significance in our lives, like money, to prove our worth. Money to Burn demonstrates, however, that there are ultimately consequences for when one gets a bit carried away with said material possessions-- others, like this gang, who feel one doesn't deserve it begin to want it more and try to find ways to get it, usually illegally.

It is also note worthy to note the style in which the past 3 texts we have read are written and how that affects the work. The considerable amount of heteroglossia and polyphony in this book can reflect the theme of confusion and loyalty. From the narrator's descriptions, to tv reports and certain characters internal thoughts, the reader can easily become lost. But such is the life of these bandits: so lost in the effects of their society, they turn to a life of crime to ultimately get what they feel they deserve from the people who don't. The form also brings about the question of trust: whose accounts can we believe over others? It's as though Piglia wants us to think about the choices we make in our lives and how they relate to and affect other people other than ourselves.