Characters
You want to know what’s wrong with our waterfront? It’s the love of a lousy buck. It’s making love of a buck, the cushy job – more important than the love of man!
— Father Barry · On the Waterfront
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker blames the waterfront's troubles on greed: a lousy buck and a comfortable job have come to matter more than care for other people. It is a moral accusation, saying that money and easy security have displaced human solidarity and loyalty.
Context reviewed