Quote by Charles Dickens

Dollars! All their cares, hopes, joys, affections, virtues, and associations seemed to be melted down into dollars. Whatever the chance contributions that fell into the slow cauldron of their talk, they made the gruel thick and slab with dollars. Men were weighed by their dollars, measures were gauged by their dollars; life was auctioned, appraised, put up, and knocked down for its dollars. The next respectable thing to dollars was any venture having their attainment for its end. The more of that worthless ballast, honor and fair-dealing, which any man cast overboard from the ship of his Good Nature and Good Intent, the more ample stowage-room he had for dollars. Make commerce one huge lie and mighty theft. Deface the banner of the nation for an idle rag; pollute it star by star; and cut out stripe by stripe as from the arm of a degraded soldier. Do anything for dollars! What is a flag to them!

Summary

This quote highlights the destructive power of money and greed. It suggests that in a society obsessed with dollars, individuals sacrifice their values, virtues, and the well-being of others for the pursuit of wealth. Dollars become the sole measure of success and worth, overshadowing honor, fairness, and the true value of life. The quote also criticizes the idea that commerce, when driven solely by greed, becomes a dishonest and exploitative force, ready to desecrate the symbols and principles of a nation.