Introduction:

      Capitalism is perhaps the single largest influence of the United States.   Without this economic system based on a free trade, it is doubtful our economy and in turn our country as a whole would be so profitable.  However, what exactly constitutes the capitalistic society here in the U.S.?  In order to better understand the definition a complicated concept specific to the United States, we often look to history. In turn, we may also focus on literature from a critical time in the particular period we examine.  In two popular American literature pieces, Looking Backward and "The Door," American authors Edward Bellamy and E.B. White focus on capitalism as a major theme each presenting his own individual definition of capitalism. Both agree the physical aspects composing the economic system, however, each evaluate capitalism in relation to his society at a particular time in U.S. history, leading to a final definition unique to the individual work.  In examining these two pieces of literatures, we learn that there are certain undeniable characteristics of capitalism that make it what it is.  However, we also discover another component of its definition that changes based on specific time periods and personal experience.