This study explores Charles W. Chesnutt's vision of capitalist ideology in his short story “The Wife of His Youth.” Marxist theory is central in this study, as it provides tools for understanding the socio-economic realities of the time. Drawing from this theory, this paper suggests that in dealing with capitalist ideology, the author pursues a twofold objective. Firstly, by describing how the African-American characters in the work become socio-economically successful through their adoption of capitalist ideology, Chesnutt demonstrates that it is possible for them to fulfill their dreams of freedom and prosperity. The author then draws attention to these same characters, showing how the capitalist ideology negatively affects their union, their values, their true socio-economic development and intensifies their racial complexes. Chesnutt achieves this double objective through his depiction of the characters' commodification of the things in their everyday life, that is, their attitude of valuing things not for their utility but for their exchange value or the status they confer.

Capitalism – Chesnutt – Commodification – Ideology – Marxism