Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
This is just a little symbol, but when Gerald writes down what he wants to change about the world, five-dollar bills come to mind. This wouldn't exactly be on the top of our list, but let's listen to his reasons. He writes:
With a five-dollar bill, Andy and the guys bought a six-pack of beer. They ended up buying five dollars worth of death. It seems like all a five spot can do is buy trouble, so I'd get rid of five-dollar bills. (9.4)
Ah, symbolism. Gerald doesn't care so much about the cash as he does about what you can do with that cash. For him, a five-dollar bill represents everything that's bad about the decisions people make. His stepdad uses them before he hits his kids, and Andy used it to get the beer that made them crash. In Gerald's mind, then, five-dollar bills represent more trouble than they are worth.