Adam: possessions are evil

Lois Tyson uses a marxist lens to analyze The Great Gatsby and portrays everyone with possessions as bad, greedy people. Tom views women as having a sign exchange value based on quantity, because he wants people to see how rich he is he "buys" mistresses. Usually from the lower class, his mistresses all "sell" themselves to him in exchange for a lift out of their oppressive middle class that his wealth and stature appears to offer to a person raised with classist values. "A corollary of Tom's commodification of people is his ability to manipulate them very cold-bloodedly to get what he wants" page 71. Gatsby is defined in the reading as desiring everything and using any means to become rich and acquire Daisy. Daisy represents money and class throughout the novel. To Gatsby she has the same sign exchange value that Tom has to middle class women.