ABSTRACT
Frank's work on the nature of underdevelopment has now become a part of the conventional wisdom in academic reflection. 1 The model which he employs is attractive and apparently very simple. It is that of the parasitic metropolis and the parasitized satellite. However, this apparent simplicity, together with the writer's polemic, does obscure some important theoretical considerations. These considerations are not important solely in relation to their theoretical implications, but also in relation to the strengthening and sharpening of the substantive analysis which derives from the theory.
