MARXIST LITERARY CRITICISM

March-2024
 Outline:

• Definition
• Major Figures
• Concepts
• Practical Questions
 The Marxist Criticism:

• Marxist literary criticism is a critical approach to literature that

examines the social and economic forces that shape the production
and reception of literary texts.
• Marxist critics argue that literature is not simply a reflection of reality,
but rather a product of the material conditions of its time.
• They believe that literature can be used to reveal the underlying
contradictions of capitalism and to promote social change.
The Leading Figures Of Marxist Approach Include:

• Karl Marx
• Georg Lukacs
• Antonio Gramsci
• Fredric Jameson
 KARL MARX (1818-1883)

• Marx believed that literature reflected the class

struggles contradictions of capitalist societies. He
argued that literature was not a neutral art form, but
rather a tool used by the ruling class to maintain their
power.
Georg Lukacs (1885-1971)

• Argued that literature can be divided into two main

types: bourgeois literature and proletarian literature.
Bourgeois literature, he argued, is inherently
conservative and serves to reinforce the status quo.
Proletarian literature, on the other hand, is
revolutionary and can be used to challenge the
capitalist system.
 Antonio Gramsci (1891- 1937)

• Developed the concept of cultural hegemony,

which refers to the dominance of one cultural
group over another. Gramsci argued that the
ruling class used culture to maintain their
power over the working class, and that
literature could be used to challenge this
hegemony.
 Marxist Concepts
• Class Struggle: Marxists argue that history is shaped by the struggle between different social
classes. In capitalism, the primary contradiction is between the bourgeoisie, who own and control
the means of production, and the proletariat, who must sell their labor power to survive. Marxists
contend that this class struggle will eventually lead to the overthrow of capitalism and the
establishment of a classless society.
• Alienation: Marxists critique the alienating effects of capitalism on individuals. They argue that
under capitalism, workers become alienated from the products of their labor, from the process of
work itself, from their fellow workers, and from their own human nature. This alienation is seen
as a consequence of the capitalist mode of production and the exploitation inherent within it.
• Revolution and socialism: Marxism advocates for a revolutionary transformation of society.
Marxists believe that the working class, through organized struggle and collective action, has the
potential to overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist society. Socialism, as
envisioned by Marxists, entails the collective ownership and democratic control of the means of
production, with the goal of meeting the needs of all members of society.
 Practical Questions:

1-How is the rigid class structure evident in William Faulkner’s “A Rose For Emily” (1931) responsible
for much of the story’s action and characterization? Would you say the story does or does not invite us to
criticize the classism it represents?
2- What can we learn from Toni Cade Bambara’s “the lesson” (1972) about conspicuous consumption
and commodification? How does the story use its representation of these capitalist realities to criticize
class oppression?
3- How does John Steinbeck’s the grapes of wrath (1939) qualify as a Marxist critique of American
capitalism? How does the novel’s form (realism) support that critique? How does the ending of the film
version (which is flawed, from a Marxist perspective) undermine the more realistic ending of the novel?
4-Describe the class system operating in the lives of the characters in Kate Chopin’s “the storm” (1898).
In what ways does the story fail to criticize, and fail to invite us to criticize, the classism it depicts?
Practical Questions:

5- How does Langston Hughes’ “on the road” (1952) qualify as a Marxist critique of organized
religion?
 References
• Bressler, C. E. (2011). Literary Criticism: An Introduction To Theory And Practice. fifth ed.
New York: Pearson Education, Inc.