Jews in Economics

        Every male, Jewish character becomes ingrained, in some way, in economic markets. Mr Alf, one of recipients of a letter from Lady Carbury, owns one of the morning papers. He can be very curt in addressing issues and, in fact, was not overly receptive to Lady Carbury’s letter. He did allow for a review of her book to be published, but had set one of his “most sharp-nailed subordinates [to] set upon her book, and had pulled it to pieces with almost rabid malignity” (Trollope, 83). However, in the name of diplomacy, he does not take credit for the review in Lady Carbury’s presence, though as the editor it would have been well within his purview to print whatever he desired. He is also described a ruthless and sarcastic, willing to be ambiguous enough to claim he was correct regardless of the outcome of the situation (Trollope, 229). In his manner he is just as callous and ruthless in the publishing market as Melmotte is in the financial sphere. Alf differs from Melmotte in that his curse is not maliciousness and greed, but rather pride and egoism. Despite this difference he still appears to wear the mantle of the villainous or devious Jew.

             Mr Melmotte’s association with the financial market differs significantly than that of Mr Alf’s. His work is more dramatic and through rumor and stereotyping, comes to resemble a variation on the Blood Libel theme in a number of ways. When Roger Carbury thinks of Melmotte, he reveals, “People said of him that he had framed and carried out long premeditated and deeply laid schemes for the ruin of those who had trusted him, that he had swallowed up property of all who had come in contact with him, that he was fed with the blood of widows and children” [emphasis added] (Trollope, 61). Roger Carbury is using rumors of his financial dealings to draw conclusions about Melmotte’s character. Based on what others have told him he comes to the conclusion that Melmotte is not to be trusted with money and that he is conniving, manipulative, and greedy. This is the stereotype that is passed on from the days of usury in medieval times: the greedy Jew that lives off the work of other people and swindles them out of their money by charging interest.

              This rumor goes beyond the basic stereotyping of the greedy Jew to push these statements into the Blood Libelous territory. By implying that this money comes from the “blood of widows and children” it becomes directly associated with the vampirism of blood libel, predatory and calculating attack on others’ money and livelihoods. Unlike the true Blood Libel rumor the blood consumed here is metaphoric representing the blood, sweat, and tears of hard work. Much like Melmotte’s negotiation between actual and rumored Jewishness, other rumors surrounding Melmotte negotiate a middle territory between the literal and figurative blood lust transforming it into something closer to financial ruthlessness. In the financial realm Jews become not just viciously greedy, but violently so. They are willing to sacrifice the lives of others for their own personal gain.