Marxist CriticismMarxist Criticism“The root of all evil is money”

focus on getting and keeping economic power. It is the motive behind all social and politicalactivities.

-education-philosophy-religion-government-religion-arts-science-technology-the media

economics is the base upon which the super-structure of social/political idealogicalRealities are built

economic power=social/political powera. class is referred to as socioeconomic

material circumstances are the economic conditions

historical situation is the s/p ideological atmosphere generated by material conditions

praxi (methodology) dictates that theoretical ideas can be judged to have value only in terms of their concrete applications or their applicability to the real world.

Marxists believe that differences in SE divide people in ways that are much more significant than do differences in religion, race, gender, intelligence

a. battle lines are drawn between the bourgeoisie (haves) and the proletariat (the have nots/laborers)

-ideology (for them) is a by product of cultural conditioning

non-repressive ideology makes us constantly aware of how we are materially/economically repressed and subservient to the ruling power system.

middle class sides with the wealthy against the poora. MC resents the poor because MC’s money goes to help themb. but . . .MC fails to realize :

i. wealthy decides who pays, how much, and where it goes. They make theMC support the poor because they don’t want to.ii. The poor receive a small portion and the rest goes to kickback’s and intothe pockets of the wealthy who control and to the MC employees whoadminister the services

The American Dream-blinds the MC and makes them believe that financial success is the product of initiative and hard work, therefore, people are poor because they are lazy.

a. I want better than what I have now to have better than what other people have is my motivation to “get ahead”

-survival of the fittest-individualism-competition-we are born equally and motivation get us the rest-self-made people are heroes (rags to riches)

BUT . . .Marxists say

The American Dream-is an ideology that supports the SE inequalities

a. blinds us it its own failuresb. this “dream” rests on the misery of the many

i. slaveryii. genocide

false consciousness is a promoted false ideal whose real purpose os to promote the interestsof those in power.

a. how does the American Dream enlist the support of all Americans, even those

who fail to achieve it, in promoting the interests of those in power?-lotteries/sweepstakes

i. the less financial security we have, the more we need

something to hope forii. “we are all as good as the wealthy”

-ego gratificationiii. The rich think, in return, that they deserve their

wealth because they had the initiative to achieve the

American Dream.

classism is an ideology that equates one’s value as a human being with the social class to which one belongs

i.e the higher one’s social class, the better one is assumed to be because

quality is inborn.a. people at the top are superior to those below in all ways and

people are at the bottom because they are lazy and irresponsible, therefore, it is only

right and naturalthat those at the highest should hold all positions of power.

i.e divine right, reincarnation

patriotism is an ideology that keeps poor people fighting wars against poor people from other countries

i. rich buy out or rake inii. Makes the poor believe they are members of a nation (collective group) separatefrom other nations (enemies)iii. Prevents the poor from banding together globally to improve their conditions(displacement of anger)

religion is called the “Opiate of the Masses.” It is an ideology that helps to keep the faithful poor satisfied with their lot in life, or at least to tolerate it, therefore, in this sense, religion actsas a tranquilizer.

a. focused not on the existence of God, but on what humans do in the name of God.i.e organized religioni. Christian religious groups promote non-violence to the poorii. persecution of gays, women, Jews, blacks, Muslims, witches are justifies

rugged individualism is an ideology that keeps the focus on me instead of on us. It is the cornerstone of the American Dream.

a. we make our own decisions and are not influenced by ideologies.

consumerism or “shop-till-you-drop-ism” is the ideology that says I am only as good as whatI buy. It is the cornerstone of the American Dream.

i. I can be as good as the wealthy if I buy what they buy.ii. on credit, and it makes the manufacture and the credit card companies richer

culture is the primary bearer of ideology because it reaches so many people in what seems to beinnocent forms:

i.e. entertainmenttoys, movies, video-games, tv shows, books, sporting events

a. our guard is down while we are being entertained, therefore, we are more vulnerable to ideological programming (pg 57)

Marxism: Human Behavior, Commodity, and Family

alienated labor- factory workers become dissociated because they receive no recognition for their labor.

commodity-value is not in use value but exchange value or the sign-exchange value (bothpre-determined by society)

commodification-relating objects or persons in terms of their economic value or socioeconomic value

a. buying art as an investment

conspicuous consumption-buying and displaying costly goods and services excessively in orderto impress people with wealth

“Keeping up with the Jones’”

*Capitalism depends on consumerism depends on commodity and all promote SEV-Capitalism's best interests are to promote whatever personal insecuritieswhich will motivate us to buy, buy, buy

i. force us to compare ourselves to othersii. competition is promoted by companies who want to sell products and bypeople who want to sell themselves

imperialism-military, economic, and cultural domination of one nation by another for the financial benefit of the dominating nation with no concern for the welfare of the people beingdominated.

i.e India, The Congo, The South, Africa, America

colonies-imperalist nation establishes communities in an “underdeveloped” country used to extend its economic interests for the “mother country.”

Colonize the Consciousness of subordinate people means to convince them to see their situation the way the imperialist nation wants them to see it and to convince them that they are mentally, culturally inferior to their conquerors and their lot will be improved by the new leaders

a. stereo-types

Familya. not the source of the individual’s psychological identity

i. individual and family are the products of material/historical circumstances

b. family unconsciously carries out the cultural program in raising its childreni. the cultural programming is produced by the SEC within the family

“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

“The development of Modern Industry, therefore, cuts from under its feet the ver foundation on which the bourgeoisie produces and appropriates products. What the bourgeoisie thereforeproduces above all, are its own grave-diggers. Its fall and the vistroy of the proletariat areequally inevitable”

-Karl Marx

Questions Marxist Critics Ask About Literary TextsQuestions Marxist Critics Ask About Literary Texts1. Does the following work reinforce (intentially or not) capitilist,

imperilist, or other classist values/agendas?

2. How might the work be seen as a critique of capitilism, imperilism, or classism? What ways does the text reveal and invite us to condemn the oppressive socioeconomic forces?

3. Does the work in some ways support a Marxist agenda but in other ways support a (take your pick of the above)? In other words, is the work ideologically conflicted?

4. How does the literary work reflect (intentially or not) the socioeconomic conditions of the time in which it was written and/or the time in which it is set, and what do those conditions reveal about the history of class struggle?

5. how might the work be seen as a critique of organized religion? How does religion function, in the text, to keep a character or characters from realizing and resisting socioeconomic oppression?