Marxist Literary Theory

A form of critique or discourse for interrogating all societies and their texts in terms of certain specific issues including
race, class, and the attitudes shared within a given culture. It focuses on the class conflict representation and class
distinction reinforcement through the medium of literature.
Marxist Criticism
The literary works are viewed as the output of work and whose authors emphasize the role of class and ideology as they
reflect and propagate the prevailing social order. In simpler terms, literature are mere products of history through the that
are analyzed through social and material condition in which they were constructed. Thus, the social condition of the
proprietor of the work determines the types of character that will emerge and develop, the political sense displayed and
texts that are economic in nature.
Literary is generally viewed "Not as works created in accordance with timeless artistic criteria, but as 'products' of the
economic and ideological determinants specific to that era"" (Abrams 149)
In accordance with the statement above, The mode of production of material life determines altogether the social,
political, and intellectual life process. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but on the contrary
their social being, that determines their consciousness. Marx, Capital

Focuses on the representation of class distinctions and class conflict in literature

Focuses more on social and political elements than artistic and visual (aesthetic) elements of a text

The Marxist approach to literature is based on the philosophy of Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist.
His major argument was that whoever controlled the means of production (the factories) in a society controlled
the society.
Marx noted a disparity in the economic and political power enjoyed by the factory owners and not allowed to the
factory laborers.
He believed that the means of production (i.e., the basis of power in society) should be placed in the hands of
those who actually operated them. He wrote that economic and political revolutions around the world would
eventually place power in the hands of the masses, the laborers.
Reading from a Marxist Perspective
To read a work from a Marxist perspective, one must understand that Marxism asserts that literature is a reflection
of culture, and that culture can be influenced by literature.
Marxists believe literature can instigate revolution.
4 Main Areas of Study
1. Economic Power
2. Materialism vs. Spirituality
3. Class Conflict
4. Art, Literature, & Ideologies
Economic Power
A society is shaped by its forces of production. Those who own the means of production dictate what type of
society it is.
The two main classes of society are:
1. the bourgeoisie (who control the means of production and wealth) and
2. the proletariat (who operate the means of production and are controlled by the bourgeoisie).
Materialism vs. Spirituality

 Regardless of what some might claim, social

values reflect material goals, not abstract ideals.
The material world is the only non-subjective
element in a society. Money and material
possessions are the same by every measure
within a society, whereas spirituality is
completely subjective.
The quality of a persons life is not destroyed by spiritual failure but by material failure.
Class Conflict
A Capitalist society will inevitably experience conflict between its social classes.
The owners and the workers will have different ideas about the division of the wealth generated, and the owners
will ultimately make the decision.
This constant conflict, or dialectical
materialism, is what instigates change.
Art, Literature, & Ideologies
Art and literature are among the vehicles by which the bourgeoisie impose their value system on the proletariat. The
arts can make the current system seem attractive and logical, thus lulling the workers into an acceptance of it.
Works of art and literature are enjoyable, so the audience is unaware of being manipulated.
The bourgeoisie control most artistic output because, whether through patronage or sponsorship, they are the entity that
funds the arts and entertainment. Since the bourgeoisie materially support the writers and the painters owning the
means of production as well as serving as primary consumersthe artist must be careful not to offend bourgeois
values. Anything offensive or challenging to the bourgeoisie will simply not be published or sold.
Any artist who wishes to criticize the bourgeoisie must do so in a subtle way (satire, irony, etc.).
Proponents:

Karl Heinrich Marx (1818-1883)

Friedrich Engles (1820-1895)

German Writers, Philosophers, Social Critics

Coauthored The Communist Manifesto

Declared that the capitalists, or the bourgeoisie, had successfully enslaved the working class, or the
proletariat, through economic policies and control of the production of goods

How to Use

Expose class conflict

Who or what is the dominant class?

What does the dominant class believe?

How do they impose their beliefs on others?

Show how the working class is trapped

Show how the working class is oppressed

Show how the working class can end their own oppression

In accordance with these, you need to :

1) Approach the text with an eye for how the characters interact. Marxist thought relies on relationships between
individuals, and even those aspects of relationships that are 'social' can be part of a Marxist critique.
2) Evaluate the vocational roles of all characters. The Marxist critique includes a focus on a "class system" where the
vocations of characters provide the most direct reference to their place within this system. Look at the level of luxury that
each individual has and how much they have to work.
3) Look at how characters use their free time. Part of the Marxist critique is based on the argument that individuals can
use free time productively. Examining the free choices of individuals is actually a large part of Marxist literary criticism.
4) Assess the role of government in the piece of literature. Is it draconian? Laissez-faire? Marxist thought relies on
government as a model for liberty and also for communalism: look at the tools that government uses. Does the
government, in soliciting citizenship, appeal to the capitalist tendencies of individuals or to their innate love of community?
Several questions to answer

What is the social class of the author?

Which class does the work claim to represent?
What values does it support/overthrow?
What dispute can be seen between the values the work champions and those it portrays?
What social classes do the characters represent?
How do characters from different classes interact or conflict?
What role does class play in the work; what is the author's analysis of class relations?
How do characters defeat abuse?
What does the work say about oppression; or are social conflicts disregarded or condemned elsewhere?

Example of Application is in the works of The Itsy Bitsy Spider where;

THE SPIDER: symbolizes the proletariat, and his ongoing struggle against bourgeoisie.
THE WATERSPOUT: is the myth of equality and the American Dream. The spider continues to doggedly scale its
heights, only to be denied the fruits of his hard work.
THE CLOUD/RAIN: is the bourgeoisie, impeding the progress of the spider, and standing between him and his ultimate
goal of true freedom and equality. The rain also embodies mans inhumanity to man.
THE SUN: is the easing of difficult living and working conditions. It provides false hope for the spider, prolonging his
struggle