The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance

In the secondary plotline, George is overseeing the construction of the new HealthNet factory in Mexico. He drives to a small airstrip to pick up Rob Blankenship and photographer Alice. On the way to the plant, Blankenship asks about the progress of the plant and tells George his agenda for the trip. Suddenly, Alice yells for them to stop and jumps out to photograph the local kids, their huts, and livestock. Blankenship asks if these are the local unhoused people, and George informs him that this is where the plant’s employees live. When Alice gets back in the truck, Blankenship destroys the roll of film in her camera. When they arrive at the plant, Blankenship remarks how similar it is to the old plant in Ohio. George tells him it’s sparser inside with less safety equipment in the absence of regulations requiring them.

Blankenship tours the plant as Alice takes pictures. George apologizes to her for her lost film, and she tells him she has another roll that Blankenship doesn’t know about. George asks her to send him copies when she gets home. After the tour, George takes them back to the airstrip and returns to the plant alone to call his wife in Ohio. The kids are being bullied at school because George is seen as a traitor in the union town. None of George’s inquiries for a new job have borne fruit. George tells his wife he knew his reasons for taking this assignment in Mexico but is starting to feel like Alec Guinness at the close of The Bridge Over the River Kwai—compromised and dirty. The town is failing with so many people out of work. He and his wife agree that they’ll keep doing the best they can.

George feels pride at his accomplishments in successfully constructing the plant but also feels shame both at his pride and at his participation in what he views as an immoral act by the company. He marvels at the beauty of the night sky for a moment, then drives away.

Sam looks up at Laura’s parents’ Georgetown townhouse. He has brought flowers as a gift and has dressed in a blue blazer and khakis. He worries about what to expect with Laura’s parents and rings the doorbell. Laura’s father answers, invites him in, and gestures to the bar. Sam sees the other guests and notices immediately that their manner and his are markedly different. He spots Laura at the bottom of the stairs and hears Sinatra in his head. He notices for the first time Laura’s striking beauty. She takes his arm, gives him a glass of wine, and makes introductions. Laura’s concern that Sam won’t fit in is initially proved unfounded as his contributions to the discussion at dinner are welcomed.

After dinner, Andrew asks Sam pointedly about his position on governmental regulation and capitalism. Sam attempts to sidestep the question with humor, but Andrew persists, insisting that Sam engage the question of corporate responsibility and obligation. Sam decides to bite when Andrew compares Milton Friedman’s ideas with that of a Neanderthal. Sam asks Andrew to clarify what precisely he means by responsibility or obligation on the part of the corporation. Andrew insists that it’s obvious that being a responsible business means being good to workers, consumers, environment, and the community writ large. Sam asks for more specificity and Andrew pivots to the question of outsourced labor and “slave wages” for foreign employees. Sam points out that for a worker in a third world country, a job paying $0.30 an hour is better than a job paying $0.05 an hour or no job at all. Andrew insists that the company could and should pay more regardless. Sam accuses Andrew of wanting corporate-funded welfare rather than responsibility.

Andrew scoffs and insists that productivity can be positively affected by wage increases. Sam answers that if that’s the case, then smart corporations will pay more than market wage by default. Fundamentally, Sam argues that there’s always a cost, and that cost is likely to be borne by workers or consumers. Laura jumps in to explain that Sam is saying that labor is also subject to supply and demand just as any other service or good. Andrew prickles at his sister seemingly defending capitalism. Andrew redoubles his attack on Sam’s ideas by pointing out the apparent necessity for perfect knowledge on the part of the consumer and worker. Sam accuses Andrew of arrogantly privileging his own ideas and moral beliefs over those of anyone else. Andrew lobs back that Sam would ban charity while Andrew would ban cigarettes. Sam tries to explain, though his anger is starting to get the better of him, that the CEO’s donation to charity on behalf of the company is only a net good when it benefits the corporation. That the responsibility of the corporation is actually to maximize profits for the shareholders, even though that may seem repugnant to Andrew. Andrew calls Sam a snake who is “poisoning” Laura with capitalist views. Sam takes a deep breath and takes his leave from the dinner party, thanking Mrs. Silver and apologizing to the party.

Sam returns home, paces his floor, trying to tease out what he could have done differently. He spots the book of poetry he purchased earlier thinking of Laura. In disgust with himself he hurls it across the room but the broken book snaps him out of his rage. He falls asleep listening to Frank Sinatra and is awakened in the middle of the night by the doorbell. He expects to see Laura but instead finds an envelope with a confidential senatorial memo, credit card receipts, and a note from a mysterious source. He reads the receipts and memo and stands puzzling over what action to take.

The narrative shifts to the secondary plotline. At an informal senate hearing on corporate responsibility, Charles testifies in front of several senators. Erica watches, attempting to control her hatred of Charles. The senators barrage Charles with questions on what he feels is his responsibility as the CEO of a major corporation. He answers that it is only to make money. The senators ask about the wages of workers at overseas factories, he answers that that information is proprietary. Eventually they call George to testify.

George’s testimony on the state of the plants in Ohio and Mexico is enhanced by the blown-up photographs of George, Charles, and the Mexican children, whom Alice photographed. George has convinced Blankenship to stay silent about the photos by promising not to tell anyone that Blankenship knew about them. During his testimony, Erica receives a page and gets news that makes her even happier than the pictures and George’s testimony.