The Bill

The bill that Smith purchases from Banyard and Hythe symbolizes the gravity and importance of his obscure goals. Smith arrives in New-York with a bill worth 1,000 English pounds and wishes for Mr. Lovell to honor it despite the situation's many irregularities. Despite the enormity of the sum of money, Smith refuses to tell anyone what he plans to do with it.

New-York

In the novel, the small 1746 town of New-York symbolizes the unpredictable and often contradictory nature of colonial America. Smith finds that navigating the complicated social, political, and economic interests of the town's 7,000 residents is quite precarious and difficult. He often fears for his life as he discovers the increasing layers of complexity in these matters.

Cato

Cato, a play by Joseph Addison, symbolizes the performativity that is integral to the social and political interactions of the town. Some of the town's residents decide...