"Fifty Grand” describes and
reveals the character of an ex-boxer who wants to earn money on his last fight.
His self-interest and greed coincide with these of the society in way. The
boxer looses, but to do it he has to overcome the struggle with himself. It
seems that nothing can stop him from earning fifty grand but he still has some
moral values. It’s not very good to cheat with the betting office. It’s not his
rival who wins, but his greed. It’s also an allusion for the American society.
American professional boxing is a whole world, and reflects the social life of
American society. Hemingway points out that it’s full of sins and vices. The
mainstream idea of the story is much broader than it seems at the first glance.
