Importance of Inheritance

Becky's inheritance symbolizes selfishness. The author uses the money Becky receives from her aunt as a means to further his explorations regarding selflessness and greed. Becky wants to keep all of the money for herself instead of dividing it amongst her siblings, per her father's suggestion. The money, she believes, is rightfully hers. The ways in which the money is distributed and redistributed throughout the novel illustrates the relativity of both goodness and selfishness.