ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL
1 SEMESTER A.Y. 2019 – 2020
st

Name: NEA A. BESMONTE Subject: Literary Criticism Date: August 17, 2019
MLL SHORT PAPER #2: MARXIST CRITICISM Prof: Marifa B. Prado

WHEN TWO RAIL SKATES COME FACE-TO-FACE: A MARXIST READING

Marxist criticism holds that the mode of production of material life determines all social, political,
and intellectual processes of people, hence the socioeconomic system that prevails is the ultimate source
of our everyday experiences. Through the Marxist lens in this paper, Victor Nierva’s poem “When Two Rail
Skates Come Face-to-Face” will reveal how the working class is oppressed in everyday life through the
capitalist social influence on transportation, how classism describes the way the working class address their
struggles, and why does the poem rejects the Marxist view on achieving the utopian society.

The Marxist point of view focuses on the works of the base which comprises of the labor or
productive forces and the superstructure that grows out of the base that includes the culture, institutions,
political power structures, and government among others. The poem sets itself in a place where mass
transportation of the oppressed can be observed. Rail skates are wooden carts that are pushed or
sometimes motor-powered along the train tracks of Philippine National Railways (PNR). In the cities, it is a
better option for transportation of the workers to avoid the traffic gridlock of the highways brought about
by the numerous vehicles afforded by the middle class and the rich people. And it demands much
cheaper fair than most public transportation rides. In the province, rail skates may only be the means of
mass transportation to far flung barangays.

The number of dangers that are faced in the day-to-day commute of mass passengers in rail skates
may include exposure to harsh weather, getting derailed, and most commonly – getting face-to-face with
another rail skate especially when they’re both empty – pirming peligro an minasabtan na duwang skates,
urog na kun an mga ini parehong daing kargang magabat. The term “empty” in the Marxist lens suggests
the poor condition of the people who ride the rail skates and that their choice of transportation is due to
their deprived socio-economic status. “Huli ta duwa sinda asin saro sana an riles”- suggests lack of choices
offered to the working class in terms of transportation. It may also depict the scarcity of resources they
have and that they have to compete among themselves in order to answer their need, because for them
the rail skates is their way to their food, work, and shelter – their daily means for survival.

Classism describes people at the bottom scale or the base as lazy, naturally shiftless, and
irresponsible. These characteristics are clearly depicted in the poem by the way the rail skate drivers resolve
their situation. “Hihilingon kan tsuper sa ibong asin marason nin lainlain…” shows their intention of not
moving or being shiftless and trying to avoid to do the heavy job of lifting their skates because they feel
lazy doing it - “malaba sana an pagnigar nahuhugakan man sana sindang agudon ang skates”. The
ordeal made the drivers waste so much time which is a sign of irresponsibility - “…hangan kadikit na
panahon maglaba nin maglaba”. The writer shows how the poor people in the society deal with their
everyday life struggles that may suggest classism being right about them. But then, poor people only act
that way they do because they are already tired of battling the struggles they fight among and within
themselves as economically oppressed people of the capitalist society – “kan lambing saro sa pagal
nindang mga abagang kasubago pa naghahanapbuhay” – and when a chance to rest or benefit from
another appears, they will grab it.

Marxists believe that the only way to achieve the utopian society is when all the oppressed bond
together to overthrow the ruling class of the rich. But this is rejected by the poem because it shows
individualism among the poor themselves. They will never act strong together because they are divided
by their own struggles and interests. They are motivated to solve first their own specific struggles in a
capitalist society and their motivation is hinted by their free will and pursuit of profit as shown in the choices
made by the drivers in the poem. Hence, this debunks the collective action of the oppressed to overthrow
the ruling class so that everyone will have equal chances in life as suggested by the Marxists.

To reiterate, Nierva, on his poem, exposes how transportation as part of the superstructure is used
against the oppressed, how the poor manage their daily affairs as described by classism, and why he
rejects the Marxist idea of utopian society because of individualism.