THEORY OF MARXISM

Presented By:
Group # 3
 Critical Theory:
• Critical theory is a social theory oriented toward
critiquing and changing society as a whole.
• It differs from traditional theory, which focuses only
on understanding or explaining society.
• Critical theories aim to dig beneath the surface of
social life and uncover the assumptions that keep
human beings from a full and true understanding of
how the world works.
 Karl Marks
• Born in
 Theory of Karl Marx
•A Theory that focuses on Class distinction
and social order. It suggests that higher
classes exploit lower classes to keep
themselves in power
Marxist Literary Theory
 Class System:
• According to Marxism, all the people can be divided into
two classes :
• 1- Bourgeoisie
• 2- Proletarait
How do we classify the person as bourgeois
and proletariat ?
• • America has divide the classes into 5 groups .
• • Underclass .
• • Lower class .
• • Middle class .
• • Upper class .
• • Aristocracy .
• Underclass and lower class are economically oppressed .
• These both classes are hardest hit by the economy
.
• In contrast, members of Upper class and Aristocracy are economically
privileged.

• They enjoy luxurious lifestyle and least affected by economic recession .

• They have great deal of financial Security.

• Members of middle class are economically oppressed and economic

privileged .

• Their socioeconomic lifestyle is certainly better of the classes below them.

 Aims of Marxism:
• Marxism works to make us constantly aware of
the ways which are products of cultural beliefs
and serve to keep us under the power of ruling
system.
• For example, in American economic system, middle class
has to pay taxes in order to aid government in helping poor
class. But the middle class does not realize two things.

• It is the upper class which decides how the money would be

spent and what amount of taxes would the middle class pay

• Most of the money goes in the pockets of upper class and

middle class people who administer the funding system.
Poor class actually gets a very small portion from these
taxes.
Prosperity:
• In America people want to ‘get ahead’.
• They not only want to ‘get better than they had before’ but also
to ‘get better from others’.
• But this concept of getting better arouses a sense of
competition and shows demand of the nature i.e; ‘survival of the
fittest’.
• From Marxism perspective this ‘American dream’ is based upon
an ideology, it is a set of beliefs. It is not merely an act of seeing
the world.
Classicism:

• Classicism is an ideology that equates one’s value

as a human being with the social class to which he
belongs, the higher is one’s social class the better
one he is assumed to be.
 Patriotism
• Patriotism is an ideology that makes the poor
people of one country to fight with the poor
people of other country while the rich on both
sides take benefits of the war economy.
 Religion:
• Karl Marx considered religion as ‘opiate of masses’. It is
an ideology that keeps the poor masses contented in
their lot, or at least tolerant.
• For Marxist analyst the existence of ‘God’ is not the
fundamental issue rather the main focus is ‘what people
do in the name of God’. e.g charity, fund raising, feeding
the poor etc.
Stories that have Marxist Approach:
• The Necklace
• The Hunger’s Game
• Animal Farm
• Great Expectations
• Gift of Maggi
Facts about failed
Marxist societies
• 1-Those societies had never been true Marxist
societies . Instead they were oligarchies which
ruled through physical intimidation .

• 2 - Even if the true Marxist societies had failed ,

Marxist theory would still give us a meaningful
way to understand history and current events.
Premises of Marxism :
•Material circumstances
• Socioeconomic class
• Division of socioeconomic class
- Material circumstances :
• In Marxist terminology , economic condition are referred
as material circumstances and the social, political,
ideological atmosphere generated by material
circumstances is called historical situation .
• Marxist analysis of human events and productions focuses
on relationship within a society and among societies .
• Concrete conditions in the world are of greater importance
rather than abstract and principles .
 2 - Socioeconomic class:

• Economics is the base on which the

superstructure of social, political, and ideological
realities is built .
• • Economic power includes social and political
power .
3- Division of socioeconomic class :

• According to Marxism , division of people on the basis

of socioeconomic class is much more significant than the
division based on religion, race , ethnicity or gender .
• If a theory does not foreground the economic realities of
human culture, then it misunderstands human culture. For
Marxism, getting and keeping economic power is the
motive behind all social and political activities, including
• education,
• philosophy,
• religion,
• government,
• The arts, science, technology, the media, and so on
•The Necklace
Questions Raised through Marxist Lens
Thank You