Forgive Us Our Debts

In an article called "I.O.U." in the New Yorker, writer Jill Lepore argues that U.S. history has been closely tied to patterns of indebtedness since the nation's inception. She also argues that getting into hock or behind in one's payments is a central narrative in the rise of the novel in the time of Fielding and Defoe. This made me think about how many videogames often present a kind of fiscal fantasy in which your character isn't allowed to have a negative balance. There are exceptions, but it is interesting to see how inventory economics defines the virtual lives of many players.