Academics frequently take the view that Marxian economics and class theory are fundamental to a deep understanding of literature. The contributors to this anthology take a radically different approach. Using such classic authors as Whitman, Shelley, Thomas Mann, Conrad, and Cervantes, the authors reject Marx-based theories of literature as theoretically inadequate and generally unilluminating. In provocative essays, this book shows how literary works exemplify the benefits of the market and open society.