Miss Bailey's Wealth In Exchange Value By Charles Johnson

The story begins with two orphan brothers, Cooter and Loftis, seeking an escape from their impoverished lives. Out of necessity, they resort to thievery to better their circumstances. Their most recent target is the eccentric neighbor, Miss Bailey, who they suspect has left town. Once inside, Cooter and Loftis are taken aback by the state of Miss Bailey’s room, which is filled with a pungent smell, laced with booby traps, and scattered with feces. Even though they find a grand sum of money, they make a disturbing discovery equally profound. Miss Bailey never left the house. The unethical origin of Miss Bailey’s wealth is revealed, leading Cooter to believe that this fortune may have been the source of her isolation and decline into madness.

In “Exchange Value,” Charles Johnson interconnects setting, character, and narration– through the description of the characters’ living environments and their interactions with one another– to reveal that the pursuit of material wealth leads to disillusionment and moral decay. Charles Johnson purposefully begins the story with a focus on Miss Bailey, told through the perspective of Cooter. Like the readers, Cooter is initially unaware that we are witnessing the repercussions of Miss Bailey’s struggle with wealth, a battle that will soon be passed down to him and his brother, Loftis. Cooter doesn’t consider something may be wrong with Miss Bailey until, in a haunting voice, she says “Thank you, Co-o-oter,” before gulping down the coins she asked him for “like aspirin” and scurrying off “like a hunchback” (153-156). Through his narration of this disturbing interaction, Cooter illustrates the extent to which Miss Bailey’s obsession with wealth has pushed her. She doesn’t just hoard the money– she literally consumes it. The act of ingesting the coins transforms her into a monstrous figure, almost as if she’s being compelled to feed a beast inside of

The 'P' of the 'P'. This conversation establishes a divide between the brothers on how to deal with the money. Cooter has a growing fear that the money may be tainted, while Loftis is captivated by it. Despite his suspicion, Cooter tries to enjoy the luxuries the money could provide. He fills his pockets with cash and heads downtown to dine at a fancy restaurant. But, he reconsiders, thinking he would be “out of place — just another jig putting on air” (223-224). Cooter’s hesitance reflects his internal conflict. He wants to reap the benefits of their new circumstances, but it feels unnatural. This scene marks the beginning of his moral decline. Meanwhile, Loftis is completely enthralled with the wealth. By the time Cooter returns home, Loftis has changed the lock on their apartment and created a booby-trapped tunnel, resembling the one in Miss Bailey’s room. Cooter notices this shift, describing his brother as looking “vaguer, crabby, like something out of the Book of Revelations,” as his greed and paranoia intensify (269-279). The parallel between the behavior of Miss Bailey and Loftis proves that her treasure was not the blessing it seemed to be, solidifying that the pursuit of material wealth leads to isolation and mania. Charles Johnson thoughtfully conveys how a craving for wealth, especially when driven by unethical motives, leads to discontent. Through the characters Miss Bailey, Loftis, and Cooter, Johnson demonstrates the destructive effect of avarice.