Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Oh, boy. You know it's gonna get real when the setting of anything is Wall freakin' Street.Now, The Big Short is much more concerned with the economic factors underpinning the 2008 financial crisis...
What's Up With the Title?
This one isn't too complicated. In financial terminology, to "short" something is to make a bet that it's going to fall in value. And that's what our heroes do in The Big Short: they bet that the U...
What's Up With the Epigraph?
The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he...
What's Up With the Ending?
We have two endings to look at with this one, so buckle in, Shmoopers.The first ending is the culmination of the subprime mortgage crisis in 2008, when the stock market crashes. Our heroes have mad...
Tough-o-Meter
We're of two minds on this one. On the one hand, this is by far the easiest possible book to read on the subprime crisis, as author Michael Lewis explains things without the use of jargon and focus...