In "The Gravedigger's Daughter" by Joyce Carol Oates, the author presents a stark critique of capitalist society. She suggests that the everyday worker is subjugated by salary dependency, while capitalists exploit them ruthlessly for profit. This transactional relationship reduces individuals to mere resources, as their labor is commodified and sold for the highest gain. Oates illustrates a brutal vision where the powerful prey on the vulnerable, emphasizing the loss of personal agency in a profit-driven world.

Oates also connects religion to capitalism, suggesting that churches function as businesses aimed at generating wealth and maintaining influence rather than fostering genuine spiritual growth. She posits that laws are skewed to favor the elite, reinforcing their dominance and wealth within society. Ultimately, her work portrays a cyclical nature of power and capital, where the rich continually seek to consolidate their assets and authority, leaving the masses trapped in a system that benefits only a select few.