The psychology of desire: Veblen's "pecuniary emulation" and "invidious comparison" in 'Sister Carrie' and 'An American Tragedy.' (Thorstein Veblen): An article from: Studies in American Fiction

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From the supplier: Theodore Dreiser's 'Sister Carrie' and 'An American Tragedy' can be interpreted as fictional representations of Thorstein Veblen's theories of 'pecuniary emulation' and 'invidious comparison.' 'Sister Carrie' seems to endorse invidious comparison because the narrative itself is a study in people's relationship with economic consumption. The later novel, 'An American Tragedy,' is truly Veblenian in its criticism of the socially constructed self. The psychological orientation that Veblen gave economics is Dreiser's basis for character exploration in these two novels.

Citation Details
Title: The psychology of desire: Veblen's "pecuniary emulation" and "invidious comparison" in 'Sister Carrie' and 'An American Tragedy.' (Thorstein Veblen)
Author: Clare Virginia Eby
Publication:Studies in American Fiction (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1993
Publisher: Northeastern University
Volume: v21 Issue: n2 Page: p191(18)

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