Message

Dickens lived in the 19th century. Do you think the message of this play still applies today? What is the relationship between wealth and happiness?

The message does still apply today! All of us have choices in what we will do with our lives and whether we will do good to the best of our ability or do wrong. With wealth one can become stingy and selfish and prideful or it can be a source of doing good for others.
-Bookworm

It definitely applies today. I am sure that this message is one that has applied since the dawn of man and will apply forever.
The relationship between wealth and happiness is an interesting one. They are not exclusively related - as we have all heard the adage Money can't buy happiness. We all know and see every day people that are among the world's wealthiest that aren't happy and none of us would ever want to trade places with and we see people that seem to have nothing and are happy.
Would I be happy if we were really poor? I hope so but I think it would be hard. Would I be happy if we were really wealthy? I hope so. It would be easier. See.
I think that I would probably have the chance to be happier if we were wealthy because it would take away the stresses in life... we wouldn't worry about bills, I wouldn't teach preschool, I'd probably hire someone to clean the bathrooms, someone to cook healthy food for us, and have a personal masseuse.... but I believe that if Doug and I lived in a small apartment and had less bills because of that it would also make it less worrisome and therefore would also take away some stress.
I think we all just have to learn to be happy no matter what. I struggle with this. I'm sure most people do if not every body. I do believe though that we have to learn to be grateful for what we do have (and don't have) before we can learn to be happier with more.
-Annegirl