ENGL 200 D: Reading Literature: Literature in the Marketplace

For the second major paper I want to focus on either Dan or Debra and use Smith’s Theory of Moral Sentiments and Karl Marx’s German Ideology to support my paper.

Dan-I want to address how he wants to kill himself but in order to do that, he has to increase his very low supply of Whuffie. He wants to die in dignity because he doesn’t have enough Whuffie to be remembered in the Bitchun Society. Only the rich will be remembered because it is the rich that we admire or want to be.

Debra-I want to address the fact that ownership of property isn’t valued because whoever gains the most Whuffie can take things. Basically everything is up for grabs and in a way, the value of ownership is diminished. Labour isn’t treated as labour.

I also want to include Karl Marx’s German Ideology because, “an individual cannot be separated or analyzed apart from his/her surroundings.” In the Bitchun utopia, individuals aren’t defined because of their own personal qualities, but rather their earning, Whuffie.

Basically, Whuffie is what makes the Bitchun Society function.  I’ll most likely analyze Dan because of his desire to die drives him to increase his Whuffie. It’s a great motivation for a morbid goal. If possible, I want to use both Marx and Smith for Dan but also use Debra as an example of how Whuffie doesn’t value ownership.