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Marxist Literary Critcism
Marxist Literary Critcism
and dialectic theories. Marxist criticism views literary works as reflections of the social
institutions from which they originate. According to Marxists, even literature itself is a
social institution and has a specific ideological function, based on the background and
ideology of the author.
The English literary critic and cultural theorist, Terry Eagleton, defines Marxist criticism
this way:
Marxist criticism is not merely a 'sociology of literature', concerned with how
novels get published and whether they mention the working class. Its aim is to
explain the literary work more fully; and this means a sensitive attention to its
forms, styles and meanings. But it also means grasping those forms, styles and
meanings as the product of a particular history.[1]
The simplest goals of Marxist literary criticism can include an assessment of the
political 'tendency' of a literary work, determining whether its social content or its
literary form are 'progressive'. It also includes analyzing the class constructs
demonstrated in the literature.
MarxistliterarycriticismforAnUpheavalbyAntonChekhov
RecurrenttermsinMarxistliterarycriticism:
Basevs.Superstructure:BaseinMarxismreferstoeconomicbase.
Superstructure,accordingtoMarxandEngels,emergesfromthis
baseandconsistsoflaw,politics,philosophy,religion,art.
Ideology:thesharedbeliefsandvaluesheldinanunquestioning
mannerbyaculture.Itgovernswhatthatculturedeemstobe
normativeandvaluable.ForMarxists,ideologyisdeterminedby
economics.Aroughapproximation:"tellmehowmuchmoneyyou
haveandI'lltellyouhowyouthink."
Hegemony:coinedbytheItaliantheoristAntonioGramsci,this
"referstothepervasivesystemofassumptions,meanings,andvalues
thewebofideologies,inotherwords,thatshapesthewaythings
look,whattheymean,andthereforewhatrealityisforthemajorityof
peoplewithinagivenculture"(Seeglossaryincasestudiesin
contemporarycriticismbook).
Reification:oftenusedtodescribethewayinwhichpeopleare
turnedintocommoditiesusefulinmarketexchange.Forexample,
somewouldarguethatthemedia'sobsessionwithtragedy(e.g.the
deathsofJonBenetRamsay,Diana,JFKJr.,themurdersat
ColumbineHighSchoolinColorado)makecommoditiesoutof
grievingpeople.Themediaexpressessympathybuteconomically
thrivesontheseeventsthroughratingsboost.
WhatdoMarxistliterarycriticsdowithtexts?
Theyexplorewaysinwhichthetextrevealsideologicaloppressionof
adominanteconomicclassoversubordinateclasses.Inordertodo
thisaMarxistmightaskthefollowingquestions:
o Doesthetextreflectorresistadominantideology?Doesitdo
both?
o Doesthemaincharacterinanarrativeaffirmorresist
bourgeosievalues?
o Whosestorygetstoldinthetext?Arelowereconomicgroups
ignoredordevalued?
o Arevaluesthatsupportthedominanteconomicgroupgiven
privilege?Thiscanhappentacitly,inthewayinwhichvalues
aretakentobeselfevident.
Theylookattheconditionsofproductionfortheworkofart.For
example,theyask
o Whatweretheeconomicconditionsforpublicationofawork?
o Whowastheaudience?Whatdoesthetextsuggestaboutthe
valuesofthisaudience?
WhatotherapproachesresembleMarxistliterarycriticism?
Marxistliterarycriticismoftenshareswithfeministcriticismadesire
tochallengethepowerstructuresincontemporarysociety.For
feminist,theissueisamarginalizedgender;forMarxists,theissueis
notgenderbuteconomicpower,leadingtopoliticalpower.
Marxistliterarycriticismcanalsobeviewedasatypeofcultural
criticism,inthatitseekstoanalyzeadiscourse(ofpower)thatmakes
uponeofthediscoursesthatdetermineatext'shistoricalmeaning.