Marxist literary theory:

Marxist literary criticism aims to prove literature as a tool for revolutionary

struggle. It points out the political tension and its influence on literature. It
attempts to clearly tell the relation of literary work to societal realism. They
present working class in main role. They drive all the function of society and make
the leading class what they are. It is literary criticism based on socialist and
dialectic theories. Marxist criticism perceived literary work as a product whose
creator emphasized the role of ideology and class. The class struggle is main topic
of literature according to them.

They ask the following questions about literary work:

i. What is economic status of characters?

ii. What happens as a result of this status?
iii. How do the escape or settle with economic and political odds?
iv. How does the economic condition affect the work?
v. How the economic background of writer has influenced the work?

Literary Criticism Of William Blake’s

Poem: The Little Black Boy
Poem:
My mother bore me in the southern wild,
And I am black, but O! My soul is white;
White as an angel is the English child:
But I am black as if bereav'd of light.

My mother taught me underneath a tree

And sitting down before the heat of day,
She took me on her lap and kissed me,
And pointing to the east began to say.

Look on the rising sun: there God does live

And gives his light, and gives his heat away.
And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive
Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.

And we are put on earth a little space,

That we may learn to bear the beams of love,
And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face
Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove.

For when our souls have learn'd the heat to bear

The cloud will vanish we shall hear his voice.
Saying: come out from the grove my love & care,
And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.

Thus did my mother say and kissed me,

And thus I say to little English boy.
When I from black and he from white cloud free,
And round the tent of God like lambs we joy:

Ill shade him from the heat till he can bear,

To lean in joy upon our fathers knee.
And then I'll stand and stroke his silver hair,
And be like him and he will then love me.

Analysis:
The poem basically exemplifies a key point of Marxist criticism that is the class
struggles. The Marxist critics believe that the people of lower class make the
actions occur. The poem in turn tells the importance of black people. The poet
tries to give a message that they are equal to the so called better people, the
whites. The poem is a taunt on the racist society.

It’s important to recognize that often times said labor classes are exploited by
those who retain more social influence and political power, hence the theory
claims that poor labor classes must unite to seize political power and advocate for
the benefit of all classes on an equal level. So the poem has highlighted the self-
satisfaction black person gives himself to forget the humiliation he faces in the
society. The theory focuses that poor should stand up and work for their rights
rather they keep on talking to console themselves and never work practically to
beat the upper class.

The definition of class levels is related through the eyes of a little black boy, who
laments and curses the color of his skin for the implied reasons found within class
division. The term "white" is being used as a synonym for terms such as desirable,
blessed, or perhaps worthy, when in actuality his skin color and soul is perfectly
pure and good, and in some respects his exploited soul makes him more
accepting of difference than that of the white man.

From a Marxist point of view, this story would follow three distinct emotions, the
first being contempt at the author, the second being satisfaction, and the third
being anger. Overall, the message of the poem is to lift up the lower social classes
and proclaim them as equal, for that's what society should recognize more .

The poet laments the reality is that the white men are considered superior and
conveys his grief in the words of little black boy who has started to believe that
having fair skin complexion is a standard of better economic conditions. He
considers his skin color the reason of his wretched life.

The poet is believed to have a special connection to God. So he focuses on the

equality of society thus eliminating the classes. Everyone in the society is equal
and has an important role to play. Thus, there should be no discrimination on the
basis of financial conditions of physical features. Similarly, Marxists believe in a
pure classless society.