Exchange Value

Loftis and Cooter are two brothers living in an apartment building working just to get by. Miss Bailey an older woman lives in the same apartment and has been missing for some time. Loftis and Cooter thinking she is an easy victim for robbery discover her decaying in her apartment surrounded by an abundance of wealth. Which the boys later discover has been willed down to her by a previous employer. After surveying all the wealth in the apartment Loftis decides that the total wealth of Miss Bailey's stash is worth approximately $879,543 dollars.

When Loftis and Cooter finally transfer Miss Bailey's stash into their apartment. I immediately noticed a difference in perspective in both Loftis and Cooter. Cooter starts to daydream about the endless possibilities that Miss Bailey has just willed down to him. He says that he could now afford a trip to tijuana if he so choosed. Cooter describes Miss Bailey's wealth as "Raw energy, and Loftis and me, like wizards could transform her stuff into anything at all". The two brothers see this wealth as a new lease on life. Loftis goes out an buys a "boss silk necktie, cashmere socks, and a whistle-slick maxi leather jacket". This mood however shifts very quickly after the landlord discovers Miss Bailey's death and an eerie mood sets in. Loftis and Cooter go from very optimistic about their future to fearful of its opportunities. Loftis remembers back to a point where he sold his mother's ring for a few pieces of candy. Loftis says that "As asoon as you buy something you lose the power to buy something". I believe this is a perfect description of how the brothers feel about spending the money. There is a definite mood swing from unparalleled excitement and trips to tijauna to a feeling of fear. Loftis leaves Cooter in the house alone while he goes to work and disappears nearly a week. Cooter refuses to spend any of the money to feed himself or to fix the broken a toilet. Which I couldn't help to relate back to Miss Bailey storing her fecal matter in cans due to a broken toilet. I feel that Miss Bailey felt very similarly to Loftis and Cooter when she acquired this unknown wealth. The wealth and fear of opportunity I believe was the demise of Miss Bailey and ultimately Loftis and Cooter.