My Financial Career

 Introduction

Stephen P. H. Butler Leacock was a Canadian teacher, writer and humorist born in 1869
in England. He is known for his light humour along with criticisms of people’s follies. My
Financial Career is a humorous story by Stephen Leacock with a humorous content.

The story My Financial Career is an interesting story catching the humour. It accounts
Leacock’s painfully embarrassing experience of the bank.

 Theme of The Story

My Financial Career humorously presents a person’s first experience in the bank. The
main theme of the story focuses on the tension and stupid actions happened in the bank. There
is a much fun and laughter when the narrator makes a clown of himself through his words and
behavior.

 Visit to Bank

Once the narrator of the story visited the bank. When he goes to the bank, he feels
nervous. The bank, the clerks, the wickets, and the sight of the money everything creates
horror in the mind of the narrator. As soon as he enters the bank, he becomes an irresponsible
idiot. The narrator wanted to open a bank account because his salary had been raised fifty
dollars a month. So he thought that the bank was the right place for it.
 Leacock’s Meeting with The Manager

The narrator met the accountant and asked him if he could see the manager alone. He
did not know why he said alone. The accountant led him to the manager. The narrator asked
him whether he was the manager and if he could see him alone. The manager looked at him in
some alarm. He felt that the narrator had an awful secret to reveal. So, he took him in a private
room. They were safe there from interruptions.

 Manager’s Tension

The manager, from narrator’s mysterious manner, thought that he might be a detective.
So, he asked the narrator whether he was one of Pinkerton’s men. The narrator replied that he
was not from Pinkerton’s; he came from a rival agency. He said that he was not a detective at
all. He had come to open an account. He intended to keep all his money in that bank.

The manager looked relieved but still serious. He concluded that he must be a very rich
man, a son of Baron Rothschild or a young Gould. The manager asked the narrator if he wanted
to deposit a large amount. But when he learnt that the narrator wanted to deposit only fifty six
dollars, his behavior has changed. He instructed the accountant to open the account.

 Leacock’s Withdrawal of Money

Now, Leacock wanted to withdraw six dollars for the present use. Instead of writing six,
he wrote fifty six and gave the cheque to the clerk. The clerk asked him if he was withdrawing
the entire amount and not going to deposit any more. The narrator agreed with him and said
never. The clerk prepares to pay him. He asked him how he would have it. The narrator replied
that he wanted in fifties. He took the money and rushed out. Thereafter, he kept his cash in
trouser pockets and silver dollars in a sock. Since then, the narrator never visited the bank.
Thus, the financial career of the writer came to a premature end.
 Conclusion

In conclusion the man failed because the lack of care from the people in the bank and
his shyness, pride. He would not have failed if he was more insistent on getting his job done
ignoring his pride or if the people in the bank helped him warmly. The writer thinks both rich
and poor people should be treated equally by banks and other companies.