Fungibility, Dead Souls, and Filipino OCWs

Abstract

This self-reflective essay investigates the unimportance of the individual in a capitalist economy. Drawing from his working experience in investment banking, the author recognizes that individuals are not recognized as unique persons but are, instead, absorbed into a system that is more concerned with trade and profit. This reflection informs his reading of Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls: the transaction of buying and selling souls and the realization of individuality. His reading then brings Ocampo Reyes to the final reflection that it is all too common to treat Filipino overseas contract workers (OCWs) as fungible objects lacking individuality.