This paper investigates the relationship between the emotion of envy, the central position of commodities and the new definitions of literary self as they are manifested in Halid Ziya's turn-of-the-century novel, Mai ve Siyah (serialized in 1896-7). Fueled by desire, envy is a central emotion in this novel, where the protagonist, Ahmed Cemil, often relates to the outside world through unconscious/repressed yet acute observations of what others have that he does not. It is used, not only as an element of the plot but also as a literary and stylistic medium in the novel, an essential regulator that informs major turning points in the storyline. In other words, the sequences in the novel are paced in accordance with the oscillations in Ahmed Cemil's psychological states that revolve around 'envy' and that eventually cause him to unhappily exile himself to an eastern province of the empire when all his dreams fall apart. The objects of 'desire keep changing throughout and range from clothing and accessories, to decorations, furniture and books. In fact, commodities hold a particular significance in this novel not only as objects of Ahmed Cemil's desire, but also as crucial elements that define his personality. He conceptualizes happiness as being closely connected with private ownership. As a young man, he recalls his joy over the new house his father bought in Sultanahmet when he was a child; years later, he dreams of becoming a successful literary man through the ownership of a publishing house, a carriage and eyeglasses. He catches himself becoming envious of the libraries and new books that his best friend could easily buy thanks to his unlimited funds. His aspiration of becoming a renowned poet always goes hand-in-hand with the dreams of surrounding objects of luxury and expensive furniture. He brightens a regular day by touching the smooth texture of clothes in Bon Marche, sees the lithography machine as his “most unique asset,” and often converses with the objects in his room to express his innermost feelings. Mai ve Siyah thus calls for a close analysis of the role played by commodities and their relation to envy as an emotion, which will in turn tell us about the ways in which the literary self has been defined in the late-Ottoman imperial capital.