We have seen the way that the philo

We have seen the way that the philosophical ambiguity of capital troubles sociological discourse about population in chapter 4. Lynch suggests this facet of these narratives when she notes that the banknote is an element of an economic system that may well seem foreign and overpowering to the individuals caught within it. The banknote here is not simply a disinterested observer, but is instead a vital but abstract part of the bodily lives of characters and readers. The banknote captures the ambiguity of the “material” in economic terms as both an abstract product of social forces and a concrete element that cannot be ignored. It exemplifies in the simplest form the dialectic that we will observe throughout this chapter between embodiment and disembodiment that is essential to creating narrative authority.