The Material and the Spiritual

In "The Rich Brother," Donald and Pete each represent personalities with different priorities. Pete only cares about the material, to him having money is the most important thing. Donald, on the other hand, is on a quest for God, he is "obsessed with the fate of his soul." Pete is not interested at all in the spiritual and Donald does not really have a care for money. Both brothers are unwhole and unsatisfied. This is reflected with the changing faiths of Donald, from Hindu to Christian. In Pete, his frequent spending is unending: sky diving, the sailboat, his new car. From the two, Pete seems to be the most successful person in the story. He is settled down, has a family, and is financially well-off. Donald, however, "was still single, he lived alone," did not have a stable job, and was "in debt to Pete." Even when this is so, Pete feels somehow threatened by Donald. He does not wish Donald well. The mere thought of Donald doing well is too much for Pete to bear because he does not feel that Donald deserves it. "And it came to him that it would be just like this unfair life for Donald to come out ahead in the end, by believing in some outrageous promise that would turn out to be true...." "What a joke if there really was a blessing to be had, and the blessing didn't come to the one who deserved it, the one who did all the work, but to the other." Or maybe Pete just wanted Donald to learn to work and take responsibility. Maybe Pete was just tired of taking care of Donald and wanted him to be successful on his own. At first, Donald shows an initiative to work, “I’m thinking of going into business, Pete.” It seems as if Donald finally learned his lesson and is ready to take responsibility and get on his feet. When he gives away the $100, though, it proves that he really has not changed. Donald was very giving; he liked to help out, which is not bad. The problem was that he was giving away what was not his. This is what irritated Pete more than anything: the fact that he had to pay for Donald’s mistakes. Still, Pete seems just as lost as Donald. He might be more settled down but he still lacks that “inner motivation.” “You don’t have any purpose in life. You’re afraid to relate to people who do, so you make fun of them.” Donald may not have money, but he is searching for something more real. Pete may have money, yet he is still empty.