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Education Quiz
MARXIST CRITICISM CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Origin of Marxist Theory and Criticism 3.2 Contributions of ar! Marx to Marxist Criticism 3.3 The "undamenta! #remises of Marxist Criticism 3.$ Criticisms against Marxist Criticism $.0 Conc!usion %.0 &ummary '.0 Tutor(Mar)ed *ssignment +.0 ,eferences-"urther ,eading
1.0 INTRODUCTION Marxist criticism is based on the socia! and economic theories of ar! Marx and "riedrich nge!s. Their be!iefs inc!ude the fo!!o/ing va!ue is based on !abour and the /or)ing c!ass /i!! eventua!!y overthro/ the caita!ist midd!e c!ass. In the meantime the midd!e c!ass ex!oits the /or)ing c!ass. Most institutions4 re!igious !ega! educationa! and governmenta!4are corruted by midd!e(c!ass caita!ists. Marxist critics a!y these economic and socia! theories to !iterature by ana!ysing first ideo!ogies that suort the e!ite and !ace the /or)ing c!ass at a disadvantage and second!y c!ass conf!ict. Marxist criticism is often interested in unrave!!ing ho/ a !iterary /or) ref!ects 5intentiona!!y or not6 the socio( economic conditions of the time in /hich it /as /ritten and-or the time in /hich it is set and /hat those conditions revea! about the history of c!ass strugg!e7 *ccording to e!!y 8riffith 520026 fu!!y deve!oed Marxist criticism aeared ear!y in the 20th century esecia!!y in the 1930s during the 8reat :eression. This ;socia!ist; criticism a!auded !iterature that deicted the difficu!ties of the oor and do/ntrodden esecia!!y /hen they strugg!ed against oressive caita!ist bosses. xam!es of !iterature /ith such strong ;ro!etarian; ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
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e!ements are /or)s by mi!e ohn &teinbec) Theodore :reiser ?gugi /a Thiongo and "emi Osofisan. ar!y Marxist critics aroved of a socia!ist so!ution to the rob!ems of the oressed and judged the @ua!ity of /or)s on the basis of their Marxist orientation. The strong Aro!etarianB e!ements in the /or)s of *frican /riters !i)e ?gugi assume combative dimensions in the !ate 19+0s and 190s /ith street theatre enactments of Marxist( oriented !ays that shoo) the estab!ishment earning him the tag of A!iterary gueri!!a of the massesB in his country enya. Degining from =or!d =ar II ho/ever a ne/ generation of critics infused Marxist criticism /ith rene/ed vigour. * good exam!e is the Eungarian critic 8eorg Fu)acs /ho argues that !iterature shou!d ref!ect the rea! /or!d. Dy this Fu)acs does not mean that !iterature shou!d be a mirror image of society by for exam!e giving detai!ed descritions of its hysica! contents or its atterns of behaviour. ,ather !iterature shou!d reresent the economic tensions in society as described in MarxGs /ritings. Ironica!!y for Fu)acs /or)s that accurate!y reresent the rea! /or!d may be !ess ;rea!; than /or)s that emhasise themes 5ideas6 over descrition. Fu)acs be!ieves that !iterature might even have to distort rea!ity in order to reresent the ;truth; about society. To sho/ the economic strugg!es caused by caita!ism for exam!e an author might have to create character tyes one /ou!d never meet in rea! !ife. This unit examines the theoretica! ostu!ations of Marxism as /e!! as its shortcomings.
2.0 OBJECTIVES *t the end of this unit you shou!d be ab!e to discuss the theoretica! ostu!ations of Marxism ex!ain its shortcomings as a theoretica! construct ex!ain ar! MarxHs inf!uence on Marxism.
3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Origin of Mari!" Theor# an$ Cri"i%i!& *s mentioned ear!ier Marxist criticism evo!ved from the hi!osohies of ar! Marx 511(136 and "riedrich nge!s. Marxism vie/s a !iterary text as the roduct of an ideo!ogy articu!ar to a secific historica! eriod not the roduct of an individua! consciousness. The text for Marxist critics is judged on the basis of its ortraya! of socia! actions. They insist that !iterature must be understood in re!ation to historica! and socia! rea!ity. The centra! Marxist osition is that the economic base of a society determines the nature and ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
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structure of the ideo!ogy institutions and ractices inc!uding !iterature that form the suerstructure of that society. In Fu)acsH boo) The Historical Novel, he argues that !iterature must evo)e a revo!utionary consciousness in the common eo!e. In his vie/ a good artist is one /ho can effective!y reresent the tota!ity of human !ife. The most effective mode for this reresentation is !iterary rea!ism /hich for Fu)acs ref!ects rea!ity in the Marxist sense. Fu)acs sees rea!ism as the on!y !iterary mode caab!e of reresenting the tota!ity of society by revea!ing through its narrative form the under!ying movement of history. Marxism situates !iterature in its historica! contexts and in its socio(economic deve!oment. Marxism describes history as the history of the conf!ict bet/een c!asses. "oremost Marxist critics such as Christoher C!aud/e!! 8eorg Fu)acs and =a!ter Denjamin see !iterature as refracting socio(economic rea!ity. Imortant!y too *ntonio 8ramsci 5191(193+6 is a!so revered as one of the )ey contributors to the Marxist tradition in the 20th century a!ong /ith thin)ers such as Fouis *!thusser and !adimir Fenin. Eis contribution entai!ed a revision of redominant interretations of MarxHs /ritings during his time in order to address the f!urry of criticisms !eve!!ed at Marxist theory 5both from /ithin and outside the Marxist tradition6. More secifica!!y 8ramsciHs ideas can be described as o!itica! and revo!utionary. Ee sought to formu!ate a variant of Marxism that /ou!d ma)e sense of existing o/er re!ations and the o!itica! currents /ithin Ita!ian society at the same time he advocated a distinct 5and extensive6 course of action for his countryHs socia!ist movements. T/o main trends cou!d be identified in 8ramsciHs ostu!ations. "irst!y 8ramsci fundamenta!!y rejects interretations of Marx /hich trade on a crude materia!ism 5and economism6. To this end he accords a greater ro!e to the AsuerstructureB and emhasises the imortance of cu!ture civi! society o!itica! ractice and socia! action. &econd!y 8ramsci consistent!y resists mechanistic 5or deterministic6 readings of MarxHs theory of history instead he stresses the !ogic of contingency in !ace of !ogic of necessity /ith regards to socia! change(this is evidenced in his rescritions for o!itica! 5and revo!utionary6 ractice. In fact 8ramsci sought to deve!o a coherent account to ex!icate and ex!ain structure(suerstructure dia!ectic dearting from the dominant underinnings of materia!ism and AeconomismB resent in accounts of c!assica! Marxism. It is evident that he cou!d not envision a sim!e one(/ay causa! re!ationshi /hich roceeded direct!y from structure to suerstructure. In !ine /ith @uestioning crude!y materia!ist accounts of Marxism 8ramsci /as a!so c!ear!y interested in emhasising the ro!e of ideas and socia! ractice. ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
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SE'()ASSESSMENT EXERCISE :iscuss the imortance of ideo!ogy to Marxist criticism.
3.2 Con"ri*+"ion! of ,ar- Mar "o Mari!" Cri"i%i!& *s /e noted ear!ier Marxist criticism evo!ves from the hi!osohies of ar! Marx 511(136 and "riedrich nge!s. Marx made a number of imortant statements on the nature of human society one of /hich is that consciousness determines !ife. * change in materia! conditions does !ead to changes in the /ay humans thin). Ee /as a!so ersuaded that the economic system is the most fundamenta! asect of any society. Other asects of society cu!ture !iterature o!itics and re!igion are arts of a ;suerstructure; /hose characteristics are at !east to some extent deendent on the nature of the base. MarxGs #hi!osohy though focusing on history hi!osohy and economics has roved to be of secia! interest to critics of !iterature and cu!ture. The concets of ;a!ienation; and ;commoditisation; have roved usefu! to Marxist critics of !iterature. =ith division of !abour in society a searation occurs bet/een individua!s /ho become distanced from each other because of their different s)i!!s and engagements. Individua!s a!so become estranged from society as a /ho!e because they articiate on!y in sma!! ortions of /hat is going on in society. *s far as Marx is concerned a ;commodity; is an artic!e roduced not for use but for sa!e. * ;commodity; is va!ued not for its use but for its rice. The individua! may become emotiona!!y attached to the commodity in a /ay that causes his estrangement from materia! rea!ity. The individua! is a!ienated from the fruit of his !abour. Marx regards !iterature as a form of ideo!ogy just !i)e the ar!iament judiciary education re!igion hi!osohy o!itics and !a/ /hich can be used for the needs of the caita!ists or the ro!etariat. ?ecessari!y !iterature the Marxists contend ref!ects the rea!ity outside it. This is @uite the oosite of /hat the forma!ists be!ieve. The message is more imortant in Marxist criticism than the form or the device. *!most a!! !eading Marxists !i)e Fenin have made significant ronouncements on !iterature and society. Fenin for instance ca!!s for an oen!y c!ass(artisan !iterature. Ee argues that neutra!ity in /riting is imossib!e rather !iterature shou!d be !in)ed /ith the /or)ing(c!ass movement. SE'()ASSESSMENT EXERCISE :iscuss /hy the message is more imortant than the form or the device in Marxist criticism in the !ight of Acommoditisation.B ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
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3.3 The (+n$a&en"a- re&i!e! of Mari!" Cri"i%i!& The function of Marxist !iterary criticism is to exose ho/ /or)s of !iterature reresent dominant ideo!ogies. &ome Marxist critics !i)e Fouis *!thusser be!ieve that !iterature he!s readers see the contradic(tions and fau!t !ines in ideo!ogy. Others !i)e Terry ag!eton ho!d that !iterature furthers ideo!ogy by ma)ing it seem attractive and ;natura!.; ag!etonGs /or) Maris! a"# Literar$ Criticis! 519+'6 rovides an overvie/ of recent Marxist criticism /hi!e his Literar$ Theor$% A" I"tro#&ctio" 51936 surveys modern critica! theory from a Marxist oint of vie/. In Maris! a"# Literar$ Criticis!, ag!eton right!y defines Marxist criticism as Aart of a !arger body of theoretica! ana!ysis /hich aims to understand ideo!ogies J the ideas va!ues and fee!ings by /hich men exerience their societies at various times. Certain numbers of those ideas va!ues and fee!ings are avai!ab!e to us on!y in !iteratureB. Ee fina!!y summarises its va!ue maintaining that Ato understand ideo!ogies is to understand both the ast and the resent more dee!y and such understanding contributes to our !iberationB. SE'()ASSESSMENT EXERCISE *ttemt a Marxist ana!ysis of ?gugi /a ThiongHo 'etals o( )loo#* "or Marxist critics o!itics and economics cannot be searated from art. Marxists ho!d that any theory /hich treats !iterature in iso!ation as ure aesthetics or the roduct of a /riterGs ingenuity divorcing it from society and history /i!! be serious!y deficient in its abi!ity to ex!ain /hat !iterature rea!!y is. "or Marxist critics socia! bac)ground is imortant in the consideration of any articu!ar /or). "urthermore Marxists see history as a series of strugg!es bet/een antagonistic socia! c!asses and the tye of economic roduction they engage in. The structure of history and the structure of society are referred to as #ialectical ( the dynamic and oosed forces at /or) /ithin them. :ia!ectic refers to a method by /hich history and society can be ana!ysed in order to revea! the true re!ationshi bet/een their comonent arts. Marxism has very many different aroaches. * critic might for instance start by !oo)ing at the structure of history and society to see ho/ !iterature ref!ects or distorts this structure. Ee cou!d a!so start from a genera! concet of !iterature and then move to /riters and texts and out to society. Ee cou!d a!so start from a secific text and move to the author the authorGs c!ass and the ro!e of this c!ass in society. In Marxist thin)ing the socio(economic e!ement in any ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
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society is the u!timate determinant of that societyGs character. The basic economic structure engenders a number of socia! institutions and be!iefs /hich act to regu!ate or dissiate the conf!ict and )ee the mode of roduction in order. Fiterature is one of the things situated in the base or suerstructure of society. This means that !iterature is a socia! e!ement that can be used either to )ee the caita!ist mode of economy and !ife(sty!e in !ace or to exose and attac) it. Marxism has a!so given rise to the doctrine of socia!ist rea!ism /hich sees !iterature as socia! criticism and ana!ysis. The artist is a socia! activist. The /riter according to Marxist critics trans!ates socia! facts into !iterary facts and the criticGs duty is to decode the facts and uncover its rea!ity. It is the /riterGs duty to rovide a truthfu! historico(concrete ortraya! of rea!ity. This ma)es the notion of ref!ection of rea!ity a dee(seated tendency in Marxist criticism. It is a /ay of combating forma!ist theory /hich !oc)s the !iterary /or) /ithin its o/n sea!ed /or!d divorced from history and socia! rea!ity. The Marxist /riter is a socia!!y or ideo!ogica!!y committed /riter. In Marxist criticism there is no room for +arts (or arts sa-e . The /riter must be interested in his o/n time and be socia!!y resonsib!e.
3./ Cri"i%i!&! again!" Mari!" Cri"i%i!& *s you have !earnt so far ar! Marx sa/ a caita!ist society as basica!!y a c!ass society /here the oression of a c!ass by another is eretrated. Ee /as an avo/ed adversary of oression in /hatever form and joined the ro!etariat 5/or)ing c!ass6 to advocate for the abo!ition of c!ass oression. *!so the hi!osohy of Marxism is rooted in /hat is )no/n as dia!ectica! materia!ism /hich stresses economic determinism 5economic surviva!6 as an index of socia! strugg!es. Marxist ideo!ogues be!ieve that a!! socia! strugg!es are economy(based /hose reso!ution stirs conf!icts among the different c!asses inhabiting a socia! mi!ieu. "or the Marxists human society is divided into t/o broad c!asses the oressor and the oressed 5in MarxH ar!ance the bourgeoisie and the ro!etariat6. Dy ho!ding the means of roduction the bourgeoisie becomes dominant thereby oressing the !atter. One of the a!!egations !eve!!ed against Marxism is that by the fact that the Communist D!oc in uroe has fai!ed it is a roof that Marxism is not a viab!e theory. *gain the overthro/ of the uer c!ass by the easants as advocated by Marxism remains a mirage in rea!ity. :esite its shortcomings Marxist theory sti!! rovides us a meaningfu! /ay to understand history and current events. ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM 22$
SE'()ASSESSMENT EXERCISE i. The interest of Marxist !iterature is to defend the cause of the oressed. :iscuss.
ii. Marxism is rooted in dia!ectic materia!ism ho/ does this re!ate to the !iterary text7
/.0 CONC'USION In this unit you have !earnt in sufficient detai! the theory of Marxist criticism. *ccording to Fois Tyson 5200'6 !iterature for Marxist critics does not exist in some time!ess aesthetic rea!m as an object to be assive!y contem!ated. ,ather !i)e a!! cu!tura! manifestations it is a roduct of the socio(economic and hence ideo!ogica! conditions of the time and !ace in /hich it /as /ritten /hether or not the author intended it to be so. Decause human beings are themse!ves roducts of their socio(economic and ideo!ogica! environment it is assumed that authors cannot he! but create /or)s that embody ideo!ogy in some form. "or Marxists the fact that !iterature gro/s out of and ref!ects rea! materia!-historica! conditions creates at !east t/o ossibi!ities of interest to Marxist critics 516 The !iterary /or) might tend to reinforce in the reader the ideo!ogies it embodies or 526 It might invite the reader to criticise the ideo!ogies it reresents. Many texts do both and it is not mere!y the co"te"t of a !iterary /or)4the AactionB or the theme4that carries ideo!ogy but the (or! as most Marxists /ou!d argue. They contend that if content is the A/hatB of !iterature then form is the Aho/B. ,ea!ism for exam!e gives us characters and !ot as if /e /ere !oo)ing through a /indo/ onto an actua! scene ta)ing !ace before our eyes. Our attention is dra/n not to the nature of the /ords on the age but to the action those /ords convey. "or some Marxists rea!ism is the best form for Marxist uroses because it c!ear!y and accurate!y reresents the rea! /or!d /ith a!! its socio(economic ine@uities and ideo!ogica! contradictions. It a!so encourages readers to see the unhay truths about materia!-historica! rea!ity for /hether or not authors intend it they are bound to reresent socio(economic ine@uities and ideo!ogica! contradictions if they accurate!y reresent the rea! /or!d. ENG 415 LITERARY THEORY AND CRITICISM
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.0 SUMMAR Marxist criticism is fundamenta!!y anchored on the /or) of ar! Marx. It is a dominant critica! theory roounded in the midd!e of the 19th century and f!ourished tremendous!y throughout the 20th century. It is concerned /ith historica! and cu!tura! issues. Marxism identifies socia! and economic factors as crucia! denominators of re!ationshi in society. ar! Marx sa/ a caita!ist society as basica!!y a c!ass society /here the oression of a c!ass by another is eretrated. Ee /as an avo/ed adversary of oression in /hatever form. Thus he joined the ro!etariat 5/or)ing c!ass6 to advocate for the abo!ition of c!ass oression. The hi!osohy of Marxism is rooted in /hat is )no/n as dia!ectica! materia!ism /hich stresses economic determinism 5economic surviva!6 as an index of socia! strugg!es. The Marxist ideo!ogues be!ieve that a!! socia! strugg!es are economy(based /hose reso!ution stirs conf!icts among the different c!asses inhabiting a socia! mi!ieu. &ociety is divided into t/o broad c!asses the oressor and the oressed /ho in Marxist ar!ance are the bourgeoisie and the ro!etariat resective!y. Decause the former ho!ds the means of roduction it becomes dominant and hence oresses the !atter. It is the duty of Marxist /riters to exose the oressorsH c!ass and its mechanism of oression. This is the reason Marxist critics see the history of society as the history of c!ass strugg!es and a!so ex!ain the c!ass strugg!es and antagonism redominant in a caita!ist society. The interest of Marxist !iterature is to defend the course of the oressed. The Marxist critics be!ieve that the achievement of this goa! is by evo!ving an ega!itarian society /here the idea! is stressed. To achieve this they ex!ore society and situate sources of oression. They identify and criti@ue e!ements of ex!oitation a!ienation and other indices of oression. They go beyond criti@uing to a!so roffer anacea to the crises engendered by socia! arity 5>ide Da!ogun 20116.
.0 TUTOR)MAR,ED ASSINMENT 1. :iscuss the fundamenta! remises on /hich Marxist criticism revo!ves. 2. x!ain the ro!e of ar! Marx in the deve!oment and sread of Marxist critica! theory.
