This statement shows the reader that Pete is very much concerned about his material possessions, and his inner security is fully contingent upon them, because he is not involved with an organized religion, or faith of any kind. A nightmare is when I dream I don’t have either” (617). This can be seen when Pete and Donald are driving together and Donald asks Pete what he dreams about, and Pete replies, “Sex and money.

This is exemplified in Pete’s instability and his dependence upon circumstances in order to ensure his security and satisfaction. While at first glance the reader may believe that Pete is the successful brother, and he is a secure individual, as the story progresses this assumption is proved to be false. Pete is “stout and hearty and at home in the world” (613), and Donald is described as “bony, grave” (613), and he is constantly in debt to Pete because of the support with which Pete provides him. In the story, both Pete and Donald have appearances that are incongruous with their inner security, and these appearances can be deceiving to the reader. In “The Rich Brother” the text’s theme accentuates the importance of a foundation of faith, and how true inner security cannot be feasibly attained without a basis of faith. Pete dwells on his external prosperity and has no involvement with faith, while Donald devotes his life to faith, and promotes the importance of faith to those who oppose or are indifferent to faith. Donald is Pete’s younger brother, and he is single and has difficulty maintaining a steady job, and so most of the time he relies on his older brother Pete for support. Pete owns a Century 21 franchise and has a wife and two children, and many highly regarded material possessions of which he is very proud. The two brothers are Pete and Donald, and they live in present day California, where their lives are much different from each other. Download The Rich Brother and more Literature Study Guides, Projects, Research in PDF only on Docsity!The Value of Faith Aaron Reid In his short story “The Rich Brother” Tobias Wolff delineates a tale of two brothers who have many external differences resulting from their differences in faith.

The rich brother tobias wolff