Miser

Miser is the term for a person who is reluctant to spend money, usually for the point where he or she forgoes even basic comforts. It derives from the Latin, "miser", meaning "poor" or "wretched."

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In fiction, a miser is a stock character: a wealthy, greedy man who lives miserably in order to save and increase his treasure. Dickens' Ebenezer Scrooge is an obvious example.

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A related stereotype is the capitalist as portrayed in, for example, Soviet propaganda. Both are usually moneylenders or industrialists, in any case businessmen, who possess great personal wealth but aren't bothered by the fate of the poor. The difference is that, unlike the miser, the capitalist does spend his money, leading a decadent life.

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Anti-Semites have portrayed Jews in both ways.

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There is a Moli?re play called The Miser (original title: "L'Avare"). It tells the story of an old miser, Harpagon, who loves his trunk of coins more than anything, even his family. The latter, frustrated by his attitude, decides to hide his trunk. Harpagon would then be ready for anything to get it back, even ready to get reasonable...

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The play was adapted into a movie with popular French comedian Louis de Fun?s as Harpagon.

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Fiction: Fiction is storytelling of imagined events and stands in contrast to non-fiction, which makes factual claims about reality. A large part of the appeal of fiction is its ability to evoke the entire spectrum of human emotions: to distract our minds, to give us hope in times of despair, to make us laug...

Stock character: A stock character is a fictional character that relies heavily on cultural types or stereotypes for its personality, manner of speech, and other characteristics. Stock characters are instantly recognizable to members of a given culture. Because of this, a frequent device of both comedy and parody i...

Ebenezer Scrooge: Ebenezer Scrooge is the main character in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. His name has come into the English language as a byword for miserliness and misanthropy, traits displayed by Scrooge in the exaggerated manner for which Dickens is well-known. The story of his transformation ...

Miser related Images and Photos (experimental)

The Miser	The Miser	A Miser Brother's Christmas: Deluxe Edition	Year Without a Santa Claus Snow Miser Deluxe Large Plush
Year Without a Santa Claus Heat Miser Head Knocker	Year Without a Santa Claus Heat Miser Large Plush	Year Without a Santa Claus Heat Miser Bobble Head	Year Without a Santa Claus Snow Miser Bobble Head
Year Without a Santa Claus Heat Miser Plush	Year Without a Santa Claus Snow Miser Plush	Moliere as Harpagon Frontispiece for "The Miser " 1668 and Frontispiece for "Learned Ladies"	Year Without Santa Claus Pop Holiday Heat Miser Figure