Play: Money Matters

Title: Money Matters
Playwright: George Herman
Publication Date: 1989
Summary
Money Matters is a one-act comic play composed by George Herman, published in 1989. The play satirically illustrates a dysfunctional couple, Archibald and Hester, who constantly argue over finances while being unaware of the hilarity ensuing from their own ordinary lives. The play occurs completely in the couple's living-room and highlights the absurdity of the lead characters underlining baseless priorities, defective reasoning, and comical misconceptions that all eventually revolve around money.

Characters
1. Archibald - A middle-aged male who securely believes in saving cash and leads a prudent lifestyle.
2. Hester - Archibald's other half, who has a penchant for spending cash on impulse purchases and neglects her husband's thriftiness.

Plot Overview
The play opens with Hester excitedly getting a letter. As she reads it, she discovers that her Aunt Emily has left her a substantial inheritance. Hester, happy about the news, begins fantasizing about the things she wants to finish with the money, such as taking a trip the world, purchasing a brand-new wardrobe, and redecorating your house. As she describes her strategies to Archibald, he stubbornly advises her about the importance of putting the cash in the bank and saving it for their old age. Their opposing views on finances cause a quarrel in which they exchange various allegations and defenses, including Archibald's concern that Hester's costs would lead to their monetary destroy.

While the couple is arguing, their attention is diverted by a knock at the door. A salesman, representing "Eternal Slumber" cemetery, shows up suddenly at their house. Although the couple is at first unenthusiastic, the salesman manages to catch their attention by showering them with compliments on their lovely house and wise money-saving methods. The couple, interested by the salesperson's lovely remarks, becomes more responsive to his proposal when he mentions a special offer: a forty percent discount on the purchase of a household burial plot. Archibald is at when drawn to the concept of conserving forty percent and no longer needs to fret about burial costs. Hester is enticed by the sales strategy as the salesperson recommends the burial plots to be a status symbol in society.

For a short while forgetting the inheritance, the couple engages in a conversation about how burial plot arrangements may be a perfect method to conserve money and guarantee they leave an appropriate legacy. After a series of ups and downs, they ultimately persuade themselves that this financial investment is the best decision for them. As they settle the sale, they think about the exclusive nature of the cemetery, calling it the ideal location for their final resting location.

Themes and Analysis
Money Matters is a satirical evaluation of how a fixation on money and societal status can lead individuals to overlook the vital aspects of life. The play checks out the complicated relationship between money and joy, exposing the irony that Archibald and Hester's financial pursuits unintentionally highlight the short lived nature of product ownerships and their insignificance in the face of death.

The play also serves as a review of customer culture, showcasing how quickly controlled the characters are when targeted by the skilled sales techniques of the cemetery salesman. Their preliminary unwillingness is rapidly changed into enthusiasm by an enticing offer that uses their desire for high-end and status, exposing the hollowness of their priorities.

In conclusion, George Herman's Money Matters humorously exposes the dysfunctional marriage between the thrifty Archibald and the lavish Hester-- a union ultimately bound by a shared obsession with money. The play buffoons the absurdity of putting shallow value on material wealth and shows that cash, while a crucial tool for survival, should not consume one's whole existence or define their self-worth.