Critical Perspective

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Recommended: Essay on social class and money inequality

Have you ever been obsessed with money? In the story Seize the Day by Saul Bellow money basically runs everything. The main character, Tommy Wilhelm, invests his money with a friend of his father and loses everything. This story falls into the critical perspective of Economic Determinist and Marxism. The critical perspective of Economic Determinist and Marxist evaluates literature from the perspective of economic and social class inequality and oppression. This essay will explore how the story Seize the Day by Saul Bellow shows this critical perspective of Economic Determinist and Marxist.
In the story Tommy, the main character, speaks to his fathers friend, Dr. Tamkin, about money and how people make it. In their conversation Dr. Tamkin say “You have to act fast--buy it sell it; sell it and buy it again” (pg. 3). This quote describes a strategy that people were using to make money back then. Dr. Tamkin felt like it was a good method so he mentioned it to Tommy. This quote proves that this book is a form of Economic Determinist and Marxist because it talks about a strategy of making money. That is how this quote shows Economic Determinist and Marxist in the story.
Tommy and Dr. Tamkin continue having this conversation and Tommy begins to believe Dr. Tamkin knows what he is talking about because he makes it sound very simple. Dr. Tamkin says “Have you ever stopped to think how much dough people are making in this market?” (pg. 3). When he says this he is asking Tommy if he has thought about the money in the world and stock market. Obviously Dr. Tamkin has been thinking about the stock market and is really obsessed with money. This quote proves the book is a form of Economic Determinist and Marxist because it speaks on the stock m...

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...s to himself “Uch! How they love money, thought Wilhelm. They adore money! Holy money! Beautiful money! It was getting so that people were feeble-minded about everything except money” (pg. 15). Tommy thinks about how obsessed they are with money. This quote proves the book is a form of Economic Determinist and Marxist because it also speaks on the obsession of money in older age people. That is how this quote shows Economic Determinist and Marxist in the story.
In conclusion, the story Seize the Day by Saul Bellow is a form of Economic Determinist and Marxist. This is show throughout the story in multiple quotes. The story talks about the stock market, money investment, how people make money, a new style of government, and people’s obsession of money. This text is important because it helps provide a vision of what people thought of money in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

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