Georg Lukacs on the commodity

[Lukacs, Georg. "Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat." History and Class Consciousness. Trans. Rodney Livingstone. MIT UP, 1971.]

It is no accident that Marx should have begun with an analysis of commodities when, in the two great works of his mature period, he set out to portray capitalist society in its totality and to lay bare its fundamental nature. For at this stage in the history of mankind there is no problem that does not ultimately lead back to that question and there is no solution that could not be found in the solution to the riddle of commodity-structure […] The essence of commodity-structure has often been pointed out. Its basis is that a relation between people takes on the character of a thing and thus acquires a ‘phantom objectivity’, an autonomy that seems so strictly rational and all-embracing as to conceal every trace of its fundamental nature: the relation between people. (83)

Chapter 24- Frank/Pitch

p. 160 "You are another one of them" Pitch initially identifies Frank as a confidence-man

Pitch- displays skepticism throughout conversation (p. 163 "who are you lecturing for" / consistent assertions that Frank is a confidence-man) he is pessimistic (Frank says he likes to have many people around him, to which Pitch responds that the pickpocket does as well p. 165)

Conversation consists of a debate between philanthropy (Frank)/misanthropy (Pitch)

Frank uses raillery in his rhetoric ( "pie" p. 162 and reference to Jeremy Diddler) similar rhetoric as previous confidence men

Frank likes to talk, "let me undeceive you by arguing" to which Pitch responds "no more arguments" (164)

In the conclusion of the conversation, Frank makes a reference to Diogenes, leading Pitch to believe that the cosmopolitan is actually a misanthrope in disguise. The cosmopolitan tells Pitch that this mistake of man stems from his distrust in all men, and urges him to "get confidence" (reference to confidence denotes rhetoric of previous confidence men)