Karl Marx is one of the greatest names associated with communism, but arguably his greatest works come from economics rather than politics. Marx saw the destruction caused by industrialism and capitalism, which led to many of his theories collectively known as Marxism. This school of thought examines economic and political themes within society, primarily those expressed in literature. A concept in Marxist theory is consumerism. Consumerism only emerged after the Industrial Revolution, when goods were no longer made by hand, but rather mass-produced and sold rather than bartered. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Although consumerism is not directly defined by Marx, it falls well within the realm of his work. According to Lois Tyson in a chapter on Marxist criticism, “consumerism, or shopping to the point of dropism…is an ideology that says, ‘I am only as good as what I buy’” (Tyson 60). This way of thinking leads to out-of-control spending and often significant debt, all in pursuit of the “American Dream.” When discussing the role of money in his theories of alienation, Marx said, “The quantity of money becomes more and more its only important quality…Excess and immoderation become its true standard” (Fromm 46 ). In this quote, Marx mentions the “excess and immoderation” of consumerism, in which consumers must have “more” simply because of the esteem associated with countless purchases. Tyson elaborates by saying: "For Marxism, the value of a commodity lies not in what it can do (use value) but in the money or other commodities for which it can be exchanged (use value). of exchange) or in the social status that it confers on its owner. (sign exchange value)” (Tyson 62). Thus, consumerism can be seen as one of the repressive and capitalist ideologies that Marx often criticized. Rampant consumerism is easily identifiable in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Willy Loman works desperately to provide for his family and achieve the American dream. Because of his deep need to appear successful, Willy purchases the latest equipment for his wife and family. However, the Lomans cannot afford these expensive purchases and must buy on credit. In one scene, Willy asks his wife Linda what they owe and she replies, "Well, on the first one, it's sixteen dollars for the refrigerator... [and] nine seventy for the washing machine." And for the vacuum cleaner, there's three and a half to pay on the 15th. Then, for the roof, you have twenty-one dollars left. So you owe Frank the carburetor. The debt from all these purchases amounted to “about a hundred and twenty dollars” (Miller 23). By the time these purchases are paid for, the items are very worn and in need of replacement, at least in Willy's eyes. When they first repair the refrigerator shortly after purchasing it, Willy says, "I know, it's a good machine" (Miller 13). However, when he is almost paid, he says, "I told you we should have bought a well-advertised machine." Charley bought a General Electric and it’s twenty years old and it’s still good…” (Miller 31). It’s a perfect illustration of consumerism. Willy is happy with his new machine until he realizes his brother has something better. For Willy, his value is directly linked to his material possessions. When these things start to fail, he too feels like a failure. Keep in mind:.