Commodity Fetishism in Literature & Literary Theory

Commodity Fetishism: Etymology, Meanings and Concept

Etymology/Term:

Coined by Karl Marx, the term “commodity fetishism” combines “commodity,” referring to goods or products, and “fetishism,” suggesting an irrational reverence or attachment. Marx introduced this concept in the context of capitalist societies to describe the mystification and attribution of magical qualities to commodities, obscuring the social relations and labor embedded in their production.

Meanings and Concept:

• Reification of Social Relations: Commodity fetishism involves the reification of social relations, where the value of commodities is detached from the human labor invested in them, leading to the perception of commodities having inherent value.
• Obscuring Labor Exploitation: The concept highlights how the fetishization of commodities obscures the exploitation of labor in the production process, creating a distorted perception of the relationships between producers and consumers.
• Illusion of Autonomy: This fetishism contributes to the illusion of autonomy for commodities, as if they have a life of their own, independent of the social and economic structures that shape their existence.
• Capitalist Ideology: Marx argued that this fetishism is integral to the ideological framework of capitalism, perpetuating a false consciousness that separates individuals from the social and economic realities of production.
• Commodification of Social Relations: In capitalist societies, social relations become commodified, with interpersonal connections taking on the form of transactions, and the value of goods overshadowing the underlying human interactions.

Understanding this type of fetishism is crucial for critiquing the ideological underpinnings of capitalism, as it exposes the ways in which commodities are imbued with social meanings that obscure the material conditions and human labor involved in their creation.

Commodity Fetishism: Definition of a Theoretical Term

Commodity fetishism, coined by Karl Marx, refers to the phenomenon in capitalist societies where commodities are imbued with an illusion of inherent value and autonomy, obscuring the social relations and labor embedded in their production. It involves the reification of social relations, where the value of goods is detached from the human labor invested in them, contributing to a distorted perception of the relationships between producers and consumers. This concept is central to Marx’s critique of capitalism, revealing how commodities are fetishized to perpetuate a false consciousness and ideological framework within the capitalist system.

Commodity Fetishism: Theorists, Works and Argument

Theorists	Works	Argument
Karl Marx	Capital	Marx argues that fetishism of commodities is a crucial aspect of capitalism, where commodities acquire a mystified value, obscuring the underlying social relations and labor.
Georg Lukács	History and Class Consciousness	Lukács expands on Marx’s concept, emphasizing how the reification of social relations in commodity fetishism leads to a distorted perception of reality, influencing consciousness.
Fredric Jameson	The Political Unconscious	Jameson explores the role of commodity fetishism in shaping cultural and symbolic expressions, emphasizing its impact on collective consciousness and cultural production.
Jean Baudrillard	The System of Objects	Baudrillard extends the concept, arguing that commodities in contemporary societies become signifiers, losing their original utility and becoming symbols in a hyperreal consumer culture.
Slavoj Žižek	The Sublime Object of Ideology	Žižek revisits commodity fetishism, asserting its persistence in modern society, and discusses how ideological illusions, particularly within consumer culture, are perpetuated through commodities.
Guy Debord	The Society of the Spectacle	Debord connects commodity fetishism to the spectacle, arguing that in advanced capitalist societies, commodities play a central role in creating a spectacle that masks underlying social realities.

Commodity Fetishism: Major Characteristics

• Reification of Social Relations:
  • Literary Example: In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the pigs’ manipulation of the idea of “equality” serves as a commodity fetish, obscuring the unequal power dynamics and exploitation among the animals.
• Commodification of Human Labor:
  • Literary Example: In Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman’s pursuit of success and the American Dream becomes a commodity fetish, representing the commodification of labor and the distorted value placed on success.
• Illusion of Autonomy for Commodities:
  • Literary Example: In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, the burning of books symbolizes a commodity fetish, where the state assigns autonomous value to its ideology, suppressing the true meaning and knowledge within the books.
• Cultural Symbolism of Commodities:
  • Literary Example: In Don DeLillo’s White Noise, the omnipresence of brand names and consumer products serves as a commodity fetish, symbolizing the way in which consumer culture shapes identity and social relationships.
• Distorted Perception of Reality:
  • Literary Example: In Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a giant insect can be seen as a metaphorical commodity fetish, where his family’s response reflects a distorted perception of reality and the dehumanizing effects of societal expectations.

Commodity Fetishism: Relevance in Literary Theories

Literary Theory	Relevance of Commodity Fetishism
Marxist Literary Theory	In Marxist literary analysis, commodity fetishism provides a framework for examining how literature reflects and reinforces the capitalist ideology, highlighting the ways in which characters and narratives are shaped by commodification and class relations.
Postmodern Literary Theory	Commodity fetishism is relevant in postmodern literature to deconstruct and critique the hyperreality of consumer culture, exploring how symbols and commodities become detached from their original meanings and contribute to the fragmentation of identity.
Cultural Studies	In cultural studies, commodity fetishism is significant for understanding how literature reflects and influences cultural practices, shaping perceptions of value, identity, and societal norms through the symbolic representation of commodities.
Critical Theory	Critical theorists often draw on commodity fetishism to analyze power structures in literature, examining how the fetishization of certain ideas or objects serves to maintain dominant ideologies and perpetuate social inequalities.
Psychoanalytic Literary Theory	In psychoanalytic literary theory, commodity fetishism can be explored as a manifestation of desire and unconscious drives, delving into how literary texts represent the symbolic and psychological dimensions of consumer culture.

Commodity Fetishism: Application in Critiques

Novel	Application of Commodity Fetishism in Critique
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald	Commodity fetishism is evident in the novel’s portrayal of the American Dream, with Gatsby’s lavish parties and pursuit of wealth symbolizing the fetishization of material success, obscuring the social realities and moral decay beneath the surface.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley	The novel explores commodity fetishism in its depiction of a society where consumption and instant gratification are prioritized, emphasizing the dehumanizing effects of a culture where people are reduced to mere consumers, their individuality commodified.
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro	Commodity fetishism is subtly woven into the narrative, with the clones themselves serving as commodified entities whose existence is predetermined for the benefit of society, highlighting the devaluation of human life for societal gain.
White Noise by Don DeLillo	The novel critically examines the commodification of information, consumer products, and academic pursuits, showcasing how commodity fetishism shapes the characters’ identities and relationships, contributing to a sense of cultural emptiness.

Commodity Fetishism: Relevant Terms

Term	Definition
Commodification	Turning concepts into exchangeable commodities.
Reification	Objectifying abstract ideas as tangible entities.
Alienation	Estrangement from the products of one’s labor.
Hyperreality	Blurring the line between reality and simulation.
Consumer Culture	Culture emphasizing identity through consumption.
Postmodernism	Movement skeptical of grand narratives.
Ideology	System of beliefs shaping societal interests.
Cultural Hegemony	Dominance of ruling class beliefs in diverse societies.
Symbolic Exchange	Exchange of symbols detached from material objects.
Critical Consciousness	Awareness of social inequalities, fostering a desire for change.

Commodity Fetishism: Suggested Readings

1. Adorno, Theodor W., and Max Horkheimer. Dialectic of Enlightenment. Translated by John Cumming, Stanford University Press, 2002.
2. Baudrillard, Jean. The Consumer Society: Myths and Structures. Sage Publications, 1998.
3. Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith, Zone Books, 1994.
4. Douglas, Mary, and Baron Isherwood. The World of Goods: Towards an Anthropology of Consumption. Routledge, 1996.
5. Marx, Karl. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Translated by Ben Fowkes, vol. 1, Penguin Books, 1990.
6. Miller, Daniel. A Theory of Shopping. Cornell University Press, 1998.
7. Simmel, Georg. The Philosophy of Money. Translated by Tom Bottomore and David Frisby, Routledge, 2018.
8. Slater, Don. Consumer Culture and Modernity. Polity Press, 1997.
9. Tomlinson, John. Globalization and Culture. University of Chicago Press, 1999.
10. Veblen, Thorstein. The Theory of the Leisure Class. Dover Publications, 1994.