1/18/2014
In class, the question was brought up: did Tateh buy into capitalism? I feel that that is indeed a very interesting question-- while it is true that Tateh does agree to sign the contract to have his flipbooks mass produced, that isn’t his ‘true nature’. In those terms, he is similar to Houdini, who starts as a low class jewish immigrant (precisely like Tateh) and using his art, grows and rises high in society, even though he is unwilling and doesn’t like the idea of being bought. Similarly, Tateh did not have that much money (with only 60 dollars to begin with, and most of it was spent in transportation), so, he does need the money, not only for himself, but also his daughter.
Additionally, the way I read it, Tateh didn’t even know that the manager would like his flipbooks, yet alone mass produce them-- Tateh was just hoping to get a couple of extra dollars on the side to literally be able to live: “ Tateh removed his hat and spoke to a man in a striped shirt with sleeve garters who came forward to meet them. The man was amiable. Sure, he said, let’s see it. Tateh took the girl’s satchel, put it on the counter and, opening it, withdrew the book of the skater. Standing next to the proprietor he held the book at arm’s length and expertly flipped the pages” (Doctorow 132). It is clear that Tateh’s intentions were not to seek profits from capitalism. When he was presented the offer, he decided to take it because he had to. Let’s talk realistically: here’s a guy offering you money on the spot for your talent. Sure Tateh does profit from it, but he doesn’t seem to be thinking from a capitalistic point of view. Once again, he is doing this to keep both his daughter and himself alive. At the end of chapter 17, for example: “For purposes of the contract they were called movie books. Come, Tateh said to his child, we'll find a boardinghouse in a good neighborhood and then we'll have ourselves a meal and a hot bath” (133). These words are not those of someone who is embracing capitalism for his benefits, but rather, of someone simply trying to survive. 
You're right that the scene where Tateh sells his movie book doesn't have any of the hallmarks of a "deal with the devil" kind of scene, where he signs his life away for the promise of wealth and fame. It just seems like a logical extension of his street art (and we should note that Tateh has been aspiring to sell and make a living off his art for a long time now--it's not some sudden change of heart). He didn't craft the book specifically in order to sell it, and there's no indication that he's compromised his artistic vision in order to make it marketable (as if "movie books" were all the rage, and he's just trying to jump the bandwagon). As that first sentence of chap. 18 indicates, it's more that he just "points his life" along the already existing flows of energy.
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