Welcome readers! This blog is written in response to the thinking activity assigned by Dr.Dilip Barad sir from Department of English, MKBU. This blog deals with various western literary theories like Marxism, Feminism, Ecocriticism and Queer theory. In this blog, I will discuss about Marxism.
Thinking Activity
Marxism
□ What is Marxist Criticism :-
A type of literary criticism based on the writings of German philosopher Karl Marx. In its simplest form, Marxist criticism attempts to show the relationship between literature and the social—mainly economic—conditions under which it was produced. Originally, Marxist critics focused on literary representations of workers and working classes. For later Marxists, however, literature became a document of a kind of knowledge and a record of the historical conditions that produced that knowledge. Like cultural criticism, Marxist literary criticism offers critiques of the “canon” and focuses on the ways in which culture and power intersect; for a Marxist critic, literature both reproduces existing power relations and offers a space where they can be contested and redefined. Important 20th-century Marxist literary critics include Georg Lucáks, Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Terry Eagleton, Raymond Williams, and Frederic Jameson.
Marxism is a social, political, and economic philosophy named after the 19th-century German philosopher and economist Karl Marx. His work examines the historical effects of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development, and argues that a worker revolution is needed to replace capitalism with a communist system.
Marxism posits that the struggle between social classes—specifically between the bourgeoisie, or capitalists, and the proletariat, or workers—defines economic relations in a capitalist economy and will lead inevitably to a communist revolution.
Key Takeaways of Marxism :-
1. Marxism is a social, economic, and political theory that examines the causes and effects of capitalism and promotes communism as an alternative.
2. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, two German philosophers, proposed this theory in 1848 to explain the class conflict between capitalists (Bourgeois) and laborers (Proletariat).
3. This theory suggests that the growing struggles between the social classes will eventually culminate in a revolution led by the proletariat, overturning the bourgeois and seizing control of the economy.
4. Marx argued that class conflicts might have considerably more societal consequences than the theory predicts. However, due to increased competition, consumption, demand and supply, and wages, the globe has witnessed a revolution in the industry.
Main Concerns of Marxism :-
1. In the Marxist literary analysis, the evolving history of humankind, of its social groupings and interrelations, of its institutions, and of its ways of thinking are largely determined by the changing mode of its Material production" that is, of its overall economic organization for producing and distributing material goods.
2. Changes in the fundamental mode of material production effect changes in the class structure of a society, establishing in each era dominant and subordinate classes that engage in a struggle for economic, political, and social advantage.
3. Human consciousness is constituted by an ideology that is, the beliefs, values, and ways of thinking and feeling through which human beings perceive, and by recourse to which they explain, what they take to be reality. An ideology is, in complex ways, the product of the position and interests of a particular class. In any historical era, the dominant ideology embodies, and serves to legitimize and perpetuate, the interests of the dominant economic and social class.
Base and Superstructure : Defining Marxist Terms :-
Base and superstructure are two linked theoretical concepts developed by Karl Marx, one of sociology's founders. Base refers to the production forces, or the materials and resources, that generate the goods society needs. Superstructure describes all other aspects of society.
Marxist political theory views history as a constant struggle between these two classes. The bourgeoisie is the capitalist class that owns the wealth and the means of production. Alternatively, the proletariat is the working class that provides the labor in a capitalist system.
In the ideal Marxist society, the proletariat owns the means of production. Capitalism, which has its roots in the feudal systems of the past, must fall and be replaced with production owned by the producers (workers). Thus, Marx and his contemporaries argue in favor of a Communist political revolution to overthrow the bourgeoisie.
Seminal Writers and their Works :-
Several seminal writers have made significant contributions to Marxist literary criticism. Some key figures and their notable works include:
1. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels :
- The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Capital (Volume 1 published in 1867) - foundational texts that laid the groundwork for Marxist thought.
2. Georg Lukács :
- History and Class Consciousness (1923) - Lukács explored the concept of reification and the role of consciousness in shaping social reality.
3. Antonio Gramsci :
- Prison Notebooks (written between 1929 and 1935, posthumously published) - Gramsci's ideas on cultural hegemony and the role of intellectuals have been influential in Marxist cultural criticism.
4. Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer :
- Dialectic of Enlightenment (1944) - Adorno and Horkheimer examined the relationship between enlightenment, capitalism, and mass culture, offering insights into the culture industry.
5. Fredric Jameson :
- The Political Unconscious (1981) - Jameson applied Marxist theory to literature, emphasizing the connection between literary form and socio-economic structures.
6. Raymond Williams :
- Marxism and Literature (1977) - Williams explored the relationship between culture and society, emphasizing the material conditions that shape literary works.
7. Terry Eagleton :
- Literary Theory: An Introduction (1983) - Eagleton's work provides a comprehensive introduction to various literary theories, with a strong focus on Marxist criticism.
These writers have played crucial roles in shaping Marxist literary criticism, contributing to our understanding of literature within the broader context of social and economic structures. [ These answer is generated from ChatGpt].
[ Prompt :- Give names of Seminal writers and their Works in Marxist criticism].
What Marxist critics do?
1. They make a division between the 'overt' (manifest or surface) and 'covert' (latent or hidden) content of a literary work (much as psychoanalytic critics do) and then relate the covert subject matter of the literary work to basic Marxist themes, such as class struggle, or the progression of society through various historical stages, such as, the transition from feudalism to industrial capitalism.
2. Another method used by Marxist critics is to relate the context of a work to the social-class status of the author. In such cases an assumption is made (which again is similar to those made by psychoanalytic critics) that the author is unaware of precisely what he or she is saying or revealing in the text.
3. A third Marxist method is to explain the nature of a whole literary genre in terms of the social period which 'produced' it. For instance, The Rise of the Novel, by Ian Watt, relates the growth of the novel in the eighteenth century to the expansion of the middle classes during that period.
4. A fourth Marxist practice is to relate the literary work to the social assumptions of the time in which it is 'consumed', a strategy which is used particularly in the later variant of Marxist criticism known as cultural materialism.
5. A fifth Marxist practice is the 'politicisation of literary form', that is, the claim that literary forms are themselves determined by political circumstance. For instance, in the view of some critics, literary realism carries with it an implicit validation of conservative social structures: for others, the formal and metrical intricacies of the sonnet and the iambic pentameter are a counterpart of social stability, decorum, and order.
In short, Marxist critics analyzes literature through the lens of Marxist ideology, examining how social class, economic structuresand power dynamics shape narratives.
They explore how works reflect or challenge capitalist systems, highlighting issues of inequality, exploitation and class struggle.
Applying Marxist criticism in literary texts and Movies :-
1. George Orwell's Animal Farm :-
George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is one of the best example of applying Marxist criticism. The novella allegorically portrays the Russian Revolution and subsequent Soviet Union through the lens of farm animals overthrowing their human oppressors. Marxist critics would analyze the text by examining the power dynamics, class struggle, and the emergence of a new ruling class (the pigs) that mirrors the capitalist system the animals sought to escape. The unequal distribution of resources, labor exploitation, and the betrayal of the original ideals can be interpreted through a Marxist lens, revealing underlying social and economic commentary.
2. Metropolis ( 1927) film :-
'Metropolis' directed by Fritz Lang, can be considered as an example of Marxist criticism analysis. This film set in a dystopian future. It Presents a stark division between the wealthy elite who live in luxury above ground and the oppressed , exploited workers toliling in harsh conditions below.
3. The Grapes of Wrath ( Novel) by John Steinbeck :-
That is how this work can be analyzed through the lens of Marxist criticism.
4. Naya Daur ( 1957) film :-
Naya Daur ( 1957) can be considered as an example of Bollywood movie where Marxist criticism can be applied. The film directed by B.R.Chopra, addresses the issues related to industralization, modernization and the impact of these changes on traditional ways of life.
The film depicts the clash between traditional village life and the introduction of modern technology. This film delves into the representation of class struggle between the working class and the forces of industrialization. Along with that the film touches upon the issues of inequality.
By examining the film Naya Daur through the lens of Marxist criticism, we can understand the Socio - economic dimensions of the narrative and the tension arising from the clash between traditional ( village life) and Modernity.
5. Modern Times ( 1936 ) film :-
Conclusion :- To Conclude, Marxist criticism examines literature through the lens of socio-economic class structures, emphasizing the role of Power, oppression and economic relationships. In a nutshell, Marxist criticism analyzes the interplay between literature and the prevailing economic and social conditions, highlighting the ideological dimensions embedded in literary works.
So, Here I end my blog on the topic of Marxist criticism.
I hope that this blog will be helpful to you.
Thank you so much for Visiting...✨️😊
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