Keeping Up with the Joneses: Envy in American Consumer Society, 189-193

A century ago many Americans condemned envy as a destructive emotion and a sin. Today few Americans expect criticism when they express envy, and some commentators maintain that the emotion drives the economy. This shift in attitude is Susan Matt's central concern. Keeping up with the Joneses: Envy in American Consumer Society, 1890—1930 examines a key transition in the meaning of envy for the American middle class. Although people certainly have experienced envy throughout history, the expa...