Essay Questions

How would you characterize Rask’s personality based on his life in New York?

Rask is an archetypal reserved introvert. He does engage in social activities in New York. Diaz writes, "Whenever possible, he avoided crossing the new bridges that tied the city together, he had nothing to do with the multitudes of immigrants who landed every day on Ellis Island." His avoidance of the bridges means that he is not interested in meeting the new people settling in New York daily. Instead of seeking personal experiences in the social scenes in New York, he prefers to learn about the happenings there by reading newspapers. Rask is a nerd who concentrates on creating his wealth through investments. Although he has money, his reclusive nature does not encourage him to engage in extraversion.

Why does Rask decline Morgan’s invitation? What does the decline reveal about Rask?

Morgan understands that Rask is a prudent and shrewd businessman who is head of J.P. Morgan due to his perfect market analysis. Morgan sends a note to Rask informing him that he (Morgan) knew Rask's father. In the note, Morgan writes, "Solomon's were the finest maduros I ever had the pleasure to smoke." Rask is not interested in meeting and conversing with Morgan because he is an introverted lone wolf who prefers to strike alone. He does not want any business deals with Morgan. Moreover, he is not interested in reviving or continuing with his father's business connections.

Analyse Rask’s approach to investments.

Rask is an avid risk-taker. He invests in ventures that may result in the loss of assets. To illustrate, Diaz explains, "Rask started making his own decisions, usually against the firm's counsel. He was drawn to short-term investments and instructed Winslow to make high-risk trades in options, futures, and other speculative instruments." Winslow is conservative and risk averse. Consequently, his advice is not supportive of Rask's risk-taking tendencies. Rask goes on to invest independently and stops relying on Winslow's investment advice.