In literature, the word "alimony" is often employed not merely as a legal term but as a device to underscore social and economic relationships. In James Joyce's Ulysses, for example, "alimony" is invoked in a manner that hints at the absurdity and transactional nature of spousal support when a character muses, "And would a jury give me five shillings alimony tomorrow, eh?" [1]. This usage encapsulates a skepticism toward the institution by reducing what is typically a formal financial obligation to a matter of casual, almost rhetorical negotiation, thereby reflecting broader themes of societal critique and ambiguity in personal relationships.