Marxism and Marxist Literary Criticism Literature in English ASL

Marxism and Marxist Marxism and Marxist Literary CriticismLiterary Criticism

Literature in EnglishLiterature in English

ASLASL

IntroductionIntroduction

Any political practice or theory based Any political practice or theory based on an interpretation of the works of on an interpretation of the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Including Communist Parties and Including Communist Parties and Communist statesCommunist states

Characteristics of MarxismCharacteristics of Marxism

Attention to the material conditions Attention to the material conditions of people's lives, and lived relations of people's lives, and lived relations among people among people

People’s consciousness of the People’s consciousness of the conditions of their lives reflects these conditions of their lives reflects these material conditions and relations material conditions and relations

““Social class" = differing relations to Social class" = differing relations to production (a particular position production (a particular position within such relations) within such relations)


Material conditions and social relations: Material conditions and social relations: historically malleable historically malleable

View of history: class struggle (evolving View of history: class struggle (evolving conflict between classes with opposing conflict between classes with opposing interests) structures each historical interests) structures each historical period period

A sympathy for the working class A sympathy for the working class The ultimate interests of workers best The ultimate interests of workers best

match those of humanity in generalmatch those of humanity in general


Workers' revolution: the means of Workers' revolution: the means of achieving human emancipation and achieving human emancipation and enlightenmentenlightenment

The actual mechanism through which The actual mechanism through which such a revolution might occur and such a revolution might occur and succeedsucceed

Main Ideas in MarxismMain Ideas in Marxism

Means of production:Means of production: A combination of the means of labor and the A combination of the means of labor and the

subject of labor used by workers to make subject of labor used by workers to make productsproducts

Means of labor =Means of labor = machines, tools, equipment, machines, tools, equipment, infrastructure, and "all those things with the aid infrastructure, and "all those things with the aid of which man acts upon the subject of labor, and of which man acts upon the subject of labor, and transforms it" transforms it"

Subject of laborSubject of labor = raw materials and materials = raw materials and materials directly taken from naturedirectly taken from nature

Means of production produce nothing Means of production produce nothing Labor power is needed for production to take Labor power is needed for production to take

place.place.


Base and superstructure:Base and superstructure: Base: Base: people with regard to “the social people with regard to “the social

production of their existence” forms the production of their existence” forms the economic basiseconomic basis

Superstructure: political + legal Superstructure: political + legal institutions + religious, philosophical, and institutions + religious, philosophical, and other ideasother ideas

The base conditions the superstructure The base conditions the superstructure and the social consciousnessand the social consciousness

Reflexive: changes in one group often influenReflexive: changes in one group often influence the otherce the other


Class consciousness:Class consciousness:

The self-awareness of a social class The self-awareness of a social class

Its capacity to act in its own rational Its capacity to act in its own rational interests interests


Ideology:Ideology: Consciousness and perceptions within a socieConsciousness and perceptions within a socie

tyty Often controlled by the ruling classOften controlled by the ruling class Determined according to what is in the Determined according to what is in the

ruling class's best interestsruling class's best interests Confuses the alienated groups Confuses the alienated groups Creates false consciousness Creates false consciousness Example: commodity fetishism (perceiving Example: commodity fetishism (perceiving

labor as capital ~ a degradation of human labor as capital ~ a degradation of human life)life)


Exploitation:Exploitation: Exploitation of an entire segment or class of Exploitation of an entire segment or class of

society by anothersociety by another An inherent feature and key element of An inherent feature and key element of

capitalism and free marketscapitalism and free markets Profit gained by the capitalist = the value of Profit gained by the capitalist = the value of

the product made by the worker + the actual the product made by the worker + the actual wage that the worker receiveswage that the worker receives

Paying workers less than the full value of their Paying workers less than the full value of their labourlabour

To enable the capitalist class to turn a profitTo enable the capitalist class to turn a profit

Class System in MarxismClass System in Marxism

Identity of a social class: derived Identity of a social class: derived from its relationship to the means of from its relationship to the means of production production

As opposed to the notion that class is As opposed to the notion that class is determined by wealth alonedetermined by wealth alone

Class System in MarxismClass System in Marxism

The proletariatThe proletariat Individuals who sell their labour powerIndividuals who sell their labour power

The bourgeoisieThe bourgeoisie Owns the means of production" Owns the means of production" Buys labour power from the proletariat Buys labour power from the proletariat

(recompensed by a salary)(recompensed by a salary) Exploits the proletariatExploits the proletariat

Class System in MarxismClass System in Marxism The lumpenproletariatThe lumpenproletariat

Social scum: criminals, vagabonds, beggars Social scum: criminals, vagabonds, beggars People with no stake in the economic system People with no stake in the economic system Selling themselves to the highest bidder Selling themselves to the highest bidder

The LandlordsThe Landlords Wealthy people owning pieces of land Wealthy people owning pieces of land Retaining their wealth and power Retaining their wealth and power

The Peasantry and FarmersThe Peasantry and Farmers Disorganized Disorganized Incapable of carrying out changeIncapable of carrying out change Disappearing: most becoming proletariat but some Disappearing: most becoming proletariat but some

becoming landownersbecoming landowners http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=eMZRYMlv9tUhttp://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=eMZRYMlv9tU

Marxist Literary CriticismMarxist Literary Criticism A loose term describing literary criticism A loose term describing literary criticism

informed by the philosophy or the politics informed by the philosophy or the politics of Marxismof Marxism

Terry Eagleton (Terry Eagleton (Marxism and Literary Marxism and Literary Criticism, Criticism, 1976)1976) Not merely a 'sociology of literature', Not merely a 'sociology of literature',

concerned with how novels get published and concerned with how novels get published and whether they mention the working class whether they mention the working class

Aim: Aim: To To explainexplain the literary work more fully the literary work more fully A ensitive attention to its forms, styles and meaningsA ensitive attention to its forms, styles and meanings Grasping those forms, styles and meanings as the Grasping those forms, styles and meanings as the

product of a particular historyproduct of a particular history

Marxist Literary CriticismMarxist Literary Criticism

Goals: Goals:

An assessment of the political An assessment of the political "tendency" of a literary work "tendency" of a literary work (determining whether its social content (determining whether its social content or its literary form are "progressive“)or its literary form are "progressive“)

Applying lessons drawn from the realm Applying lessons drawn from the realm of aesthetics to the realm of politicsof aesthetics to the realm of politics

Marxist Film TheoryMarxist Film Theory

Expressing ideas of Marxism through Expressing ideas of Marxism through film in terms of film editing, such as film in terms of film editing, such as montagemontage

EEmploying radical choice of subject mploying radical choice of subject matter, as well as subversive parody, matter, as well as subversive parody, to heighten class consciousness and to heighten class consciousness and promote Marxist ideaspromote Marxist ideas

Marxist Film TheoryMarxist Film Theory Sergei Eisenstein:Sergei Eisenstein:

Shunning narrative structure by eliminating the Shunning narrative structure by eliminating the individual protagonist individual protagonist

Telling stories where the action is moved by the Telling stories where the action is moved by the group group

Story told through a clash of one image against Story told through a clash of one image against the next (whether in composition, motion, or the next (whether in composition, motion, or idea) idea)

The audience is never lulled into believing that The audience is never lulled into believing that they are watching something that has not been they are watching something that has not been worked overworked over

Important works:Important works: Can dialectics break bricks?Can dialectics break bricks? (1973) (1973) http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=6lEz5rye_U4http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=6lEz5rye_U4

Thanks for your struggle Thanks for your struggle of attention!of attention!

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Marxism and Marxist Literary Criticism Literature in English ASL