Mark Twain

The Million Pound Bank Note (annotated) Mark Twain

This short story by Twain presents his primarily American readership with a sense of what virtues should define them as American. It also challenges them to think of what they might do in the protagonist's situation. This work begins with the protagonist, Henry Adams (deliberately representative of any "average" American man) being washed out to sea while on a leisurely boat trip. Rescued by a passing British ship, he ends up in London with nothing; the few possessions he had were washed away by the sea. While searching for food, the stranger is spotted by two English brothers of wealthy means, who decide to make a wager on his character. The brothers hand him a million-pound bank note: one of only two ever minted. One brother, Brother A, believes he will do the foolish thing and try and cash it at a bank. This action would lead to investigation and prosecution, given the note's rarity and the fact that Henry would have no proof of having obtained it honestly. Brother B, on the other hand, believes that Henry will make better use of the note and offers him a job with good pay as a reward for his doing this.