One Thousand Dollars

The money in the title of the story symbolizes the dichotomy between rich and poor. For the poor, $1,000 is life-changing, while for the rich it seems like a trifle. This juxtaposition plays out as Gillian travels across New York City in a cab trying to decide what to do with the money. For the cab driver, the money would change his life, as it would for those whom Bryson suggests as beneficiaries. For the blind man, $1,000 was the sum total of a life of hard work. For Miss Lauriere, by contrast, it was almost an insult. She would rather have no necklace than one that cost only $1,000.

For Gillian, in the end, the $1,000 symbolizes his love for Miss Hayden. The money is inconsequential to him, but it is not for Miss Hayden. The gift represents his love for her even though she does not return his affection.

The cab is both Gillian’s mode of travel around New York and the vehicle of his moral redemption. It symbolizes his transformation from selfish and uncharitable to selfless and charitable.