Ricardo Piglia’s novel, “Money to Burn,” is a refreshing change of literature that follows the escape route of a group of criminals as they speed to escape from Buenos Aires to Uruguay with the police tight on their heels. This book offered a different reading experience compared to the other readings in this course, it was fast-paced, the language used was brash, and the style of writing was clear and straightforward. The first significant event was the robbery done “in broad daylight (pg. 24).” This was intriguing because I thought that robberies typically occur during the night to utilize the dark and avoid detection from witnesses. However, there were plenty of witnesses who gave descriptions, although varying, about the robbery that transpired and the robbers who did it. The criminals were also confident enough to make a spectacle out of it, they intercepted the moving car and shot rounds of ammunition in the streets. 

The huge heist was accomplished at the beginning of the reading which left the narrator recounting the drama and backstory of the criminals as they fled from the relentless pursuit led by the police officer Silvio. The beginning and the end of the novel are more fast-paced. In the middle of the story, the author invites the readers to observe the deeper levels of each character. Most of the characters in the crime gang had an alias or nickname; for instance the Kid Brignone, Blond Gaucho, the Crow, the Girl, and Stripey. Since they are all ruthless criminals, I assumed that their childhood and environment have not been kind to them. However, this is not true for all the criminal characters, the Kid demonstrates this with his upbringing. The Kid, real name Franco Brignone, was the “… firstborn son of a wealthy entrepreneur in the construction business, resident of the rich suburbs of Belgrano (pg. 73).” This character really stood out to me, his backstory was surprising and so different compared to the typical profiles of criminals. It made me consider the reason why Franco Brignone, the “favourite son of a respectable businessman (pg. 73)” walked into a life of crime despite his privileged upbringing and wealthy parents. He didn’t have the need to steal and kill for economic necessities like money and property, so did he do it to rebel against his family and society’s expectations? The Kid also raised questions regarding the nature of criminals and the extent to which their environment affects the trajectory of their lives. 

Discussion Question: 

Why do you think the Kid “embarked on a path of crime (pg. 74)” despite his wealthy parents and privileged upbringing? Do you think it had to do with an adolescent’s tendency for rebellion or adrenaline? Or perhaps he was rebelling against the expectations placed on him by his family and society?