marcia marxist theory
TRANSCRIPT
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Marxist Literary TheoryMarxist Literary Theory
A form of critique or
discourse forinterrogating all societies
and their texts in terms
of certain specific issues
including race, class,
and the attitudes shared
within a given culture.
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Historical Development
Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883)
Friedrich Engles (1820-1895)
German Writers, Philosophers, Social Critics Coauthored The Communist Manifesto
Declared that the capitalists, or the
bourgeoisie, had successfully enslaved the
working class, or the proletariat, througheconomic policies and control of the
production of goods
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Who was Karl Marx?
Born in Trier, Germany in 1818
German philosopher who rejectedthe tenets of Romanticism in favor ofphilosophy of dialectical materialism.
Criticized the injustice inherent in the
European class/capitalist system ofeconomics operating in the 19thCentury.
Believed that capitalism allowed thebourgeoisie to benefit at the expense
of the workers. The Commun ist Manifesto.
Das Kapital, analyzes the capitalistform of wealth production and itsconsequences for culture.
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Assumptions
In America, for example, the capitalists exploit
the working classes, determine their salaries
and working conditions, and other elements of
their lives. From this base, arises thesuperstructurea multitude of social and legal
institutions, political and education systems,
religious beliefs, values, and a body of art and
literature that one social class uses to keepmembers of the working class in check.
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Marxist Criticism
A Marxist critic may begin such an analysis
by showing how an authors text reflects
his or her ideology through an examination
of the fictional worlds characters, settings,society, or any other aspect of the text.
The critic may then launch an investigation
into
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Marxist Criticism
1. The authors social class
2. Its effects upon the authors society
3. Examining the history and the culture ofthe times as reflected in the text
4. Investigate how the author either
correctly or incorrectly pictures thishistorical period
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Marxist Literary Theory
Focuses on the representation of
class distinctions and class conflict inliterature
Focuses more on social and political
elements than artistic and visual(aesthetic) elements of a text
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How does the authors social andeconomic class show through the work?
Does the work support the economic andsocial status quo, or does it advocate
change?
What roles does the class system play inthe work?
Questions Raised By the
Marxist Literary Lens
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Questions Raised By the Marxist
Literary Lens
What role does class play in the work; what
is the authors analysis of class relations?
How do characters overcome oppression?
What does the work say about oppression;or are social conflicts ignored or blamed
elsewhere?
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Questions Raised By the Marxist
Literary Lens
Does the work propose some form ofutopian vision as a solution to the problemsencountered in the work?
In what ways does the work serve aspropaganda for the status quo; or does it try
to undermine it?
Does the literature reflect the authors ownclass or analysis of class relations?
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Key Terms
Materialism
Classism
Commodification
ProletariatBourgeoisie
Capitalism
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Ask Questions
Is there an objection to socialism?
Does the text raise criticism about the emptinessof life in bourgeois society?
What does the author portray about society?
What is emphasized, what is ignored?
Are characters from all social levels equally
sketched?
Are the main problems individual or collective?
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How to Use
Expose class conflict
Who or what is thedominant class?
What does thedominant classbelieve?
How do they imposetheir beliefs onothers?
Show how the
working class is
trapped
Show how the
working class is
oppressed Show how the
working class can end
their own oppression
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Marxist Literary Theory
Materialist Criticism
Social Criticism
Committed Criticism
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Applying Marxist Literary
Theory to Texts
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Excerpt from Run w i th the
Horsemenby Ferrol Sams The colored folk were beginning their revival service, which
they called Big MeetingThey were, however, having dinneron the grounds today, and the boy was eager to go. He hadextracted an invitation from Ole John Tom the eveningbeforeThere were certain unwritten but nonetheless well-
defined barriers of mutual respect between the races. Nowherehas the doctrine of religious freedom been more openlyextended than in the rural post-Reconstruction South, except,of course, to Catholics and Jews. As long as a groupdesignated itself Baptist, almost any code of behaviour was
acceptable. One did not, however, attend a strange church outof idle curiosity. Certainly one did not traverse racial lines as atitillated spectator. Although no one had ever bothered to tellthe boy that he should not go to a colored church, he knewwithin his heart that such a venture was strictly taboo. Heconsequently went about obtaining permission to go with Ole
John Tom in a very circuitous fashion (Sams 241).
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Excerpt from Run w i th the
Horsemenby Ferrol Sams The boy stayed busy on the farm all that summer. Buddy came
to him early in the season and persuaded him to talk to hisfather. As a result he and Buddy had five acres of watermelonsthat they were raising on halves. The father furnished the land,
the mules, the fertilizer, and the seed. Buddy and the boyfurnished the labor. It would be their responsibility to harvestand sell the melons. When the crop was finished, they wouldhave a settling-up day. All the money would be turned in, thefertilizer and seed bills would be presented and halved, and
then the profits would be split down the middle, one half to thefather, the other half to Buddy and the boy. That was standardprocedure for all the tenants on the farm, except that the twoboys would not have to pay a grocery bill in addition (Sams205).
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Union
Not me alone
I know now
But all the whole oppressed
Poor world,
White and black,Must put their hands with mine
To shake the pillars of those temples
Wherein the false gods dwell
And worn-out altars stand
Too well defended,
And the rule of greeds upheld
That must be ended.
Langston Hughes
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Activity Re-cap
What should we expect to see through a
Marxist lens?
the political context of the text itself (places
the study of literature in the context ofimportant social questions)
that we as readers are socially constructed
subjects the idea that literature is a part of ideology
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References
Appleman, Deborah. Critical Encounters in High School English: Teaching Literary Theory to
Adolescents. New York, Teachers College Press, 2000.
Brewton, Vince. Marxism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2002.
14 Sept. 2004 < http://www.iep.utm.edu/literary.htm >.
Brizee, Allen. Karl Marx. Marxist Literary Criticism. 2000. 18 Sept. 2004.
Karl Marx. 15 Sept. 2004 < http://ni206173181.blogspot.com >.
Mansour, Dr. Wisam. Marxist Literary Theory. 2000. 16 Sept. 2004
< www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy4573/Lectures/marxism.html >.
Schakel and Ridl.Approaching Poetry: Perspectives and Responses.New York: St. Martins Press,
1997.
Marxism. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 14. Sept. 2004 < en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism >.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/literary.htmhttp://athena.english.vt.edu/~hbrizee/marxindex.htmhttp://ni206173181.blogspot.com/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy4573/Lectures/marxism.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy4573/Lectures/marxism.htmlhttp://ni206173181.blogspot.com/http://athena.english.vt.edu/~hbrizee/marxindex.htmhttp://www.iep.utm.edu/literary.htm -
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Works Cited
Bressler, Charles E. Literary Criticism: An
Introduction to Theory and Practice.
Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1994.
Murfin, Ross and Ray, Supryia. The
Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary
Terms. Boston/New York: Bedford/St.
Martins, 2003.