The phrase “perceived value” is often assigned to inanimate objects whose value lies in the value a consumer assigns to the product. According to Adam Smith's "invisible hand" theory, rational individuals make decisions driven by the desire to do what best benefits themselves. While this stimulates the economic market and benefits society as a whole, the application of this concept has a negative impact on interpersonal relationships (Ulmer 256). When the consumer-object relationship is applied to human relationships, the accumulation of experiences and poor decisions that influence an individual's perceived value influences how that same individual will choose to treat the other. Rose Goldsen, professor of sociology at Cornell University, argues that “An individual bases his worth on appearance, good behavior, bad behavior, and relationships” (42). These four areas directly build or destroy an individual's self-esteem. An individual's constant ranking resulting from daily competition influences his or her life through social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects, which in turn influence his or her output behaviors. Studies show that damage to the psyche begins in childhood (Cimini 13). Children innately desire affirmation. If a parent does not support and value his or her child, the child is more likely to live recklessly and desperately seek affirmation from the world. Extreme emotional behaviors lead to a lack of respect for the moral code, poor treatment of others, and harm to the child. The flaws of society find a parallel in literature to serve as a contrast to society. This concept is reflected in the characters who represent caricatures of humanity in the novels Wuthering Heights, The White Tiger and The Picture of Dorian Gray...... middle of paper....... Shop It To Me Inc, 20 June 2013. Web. March 29, 2014. Goldsen, Rose K., and Charles Morris. “Varieties of Human Value.” American Sociological Review 22.1 (1957): 111. Print.Hafley, James. "The Villain of Wuthering Heights." Nineteenth Century Fiction 13.3 (1958): 199-215. JSTOR. Network. March 31, 2014.Khor, Lena. “Can Subalterns Right Wrongs?: Human Rights and Development in Aravind Adiga’s “The White Tiger” South Central Review 29.1/2 (2012): 41-67.JSTOR. Network. March 31, 2014. Liebman, Sheldon W. “CHARACTER DESIGN IN “THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY”” Studies in the Novel 31.3 (1999): 296-316. JSTOR. Network. March 31, 2014. Ulmer, Melville J. "Human Values ​​and Economic Science." Journal of Economic Issues 8.2 (June 1974): 255-66. JSTOR. Association for Evolutionary Economics. Network. March 31, 2014.Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. London: Ward, Lock, 1891. Print.