Marxist
Literary Criticism
GROUP 3
10 - RIZAL
What is the picture all about?
Overview
This presentation explores the fundamental
aspects of Marxist theory
Our aim is to provide a clear understanding
of Marxist principles and their impact
Introduction
General Concept
Marxism is a set of ideas developed by Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels. It talks about how society is divided into
different classes, mainly the rich (bourgeoisie) and the
poor workers (proletariat). Marxism believes that the rich
people make money by taking advantage of the workers,
who do most of the hard work but get paid very little.
Project objectives
Learn the Basics: Revolutionary Goals: See Modern
Understand the main Learn about the Relevance:
ideas of Marxist Marxist vision for a Understand how
theory, like class society without classes Marxist ideas apply to
struggle and worker or state control. today's world and
exploitation. consider common
criticisms.
Marxist Criticism
Marxist Criticism is based on the political and Karl Marx
economic theories of Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Some of his notable works are:
The German Ideology (1846)
The Communist Manifesto (1848)
Das Kapital (1867)
He was a 19th century German philosopher that became a
part of the Young Hegelians , and later, the communist
league. Marx is revered as one of the most influential social
thinkers of the 19th century.
Marxist Criticism
Friedrich Engels
We can’t have Marx without... Friedrich Engels.
Some of his major works were:
The Condition of the Working Class in England (1844)
Co-authored The Communist
Manifesto (1848)
Engels was pretty much Marx's best friend. He shared Marx's
socialist beliefs and provided support financially as well as
intellectually while Marx developed his theories.
Beginning
01 Karl Marx , a German philosopher and Friedrich Engels , a German
sociologist, were the joint founders of this school of thought.
02 Marx was a son of a lawyer but spent most of his life in great
poverty as a political exile from Germany living in Britain.
03 Engels had left Germany in 1842 to work in Manchester for his
father's textile firm.
Beginning
04 They both met each other after Marx had read an article by
Engels in a journal to which they both contributed.
04 They themselves called their economic theories 'communism'
(rather than 'Marxism'), designating their belief in the state
ownership of industry, transport etc., rather than private
ownership.
What does it mean to be a Marxist?
Essentially, it is the opposite of capitalism.
PROLETARIANT
Capitalism is based on
private ownership
ownership and motivation
by profit. Marx criticizes
capitalism for its tendency
to abuse the working man,
or “the proletariat,” by
paying a wage that barely
guarantees the workers’
survival. CAPITALIST
What does it mean to be a Marxist?
Instead, Marxism utilizes socialism’s concept of
public ownership.
PROLETARIANT
Marxism theorizes that in
order to remove the
proletariat from its poor
economic situation, a
socialist revolution must
occur to remove the
unconcerned ruling class
from government. CAPITALIST
What does it mean to be a Marxist?
PROLETARIANT
Following the revolution, a
new, socialist government is
created that subsequently
becomes communist in
nature.
CAPITALIST
General Principles of Marxist Criticism
It promotes the idea that literature should be a tool in the
revolutionary struggle.
It attempts to clarify the relationship of literary work to social reality.
It is political in nature.
It aims to arrive at an interpretation of literary text in order to define
the political dimensions of literary work.
It believes that the literary work has ALWAYS a relationship to the
society.
It judges literature by how it represents the main struggles for power
going on that time, how it may influence those struggles.
AIM OF MARXISM
End Capitalism: Marxists want to get rid of
the capitalist system, where the rich (the
bourgeoisie) make money by exploiting the
workers (the proletariat).
Create a Classless Society: Marxists
strive to build a society where there
are no rich or poor people.
AIM OF MARXISM
Achieve Social Equality: The ultimate
goal of Marxism is to create a society
where everyone has the same rights.
Common Decision-Making: Allow
workers to jointly manage and make
decisions for the benefit of all.
Examples of Marxist Criticism
“A White Heron” is a short story by Sarah Orne
Jewett.
The story is about a young girl who is approached
by a hunter who offers her money if she will divulge
the location of a rare white heron he wants to
shoot. To Sylvia, those birds, like her family cow, are
companions and friends; to him, they are merely
trophies to be stuffed and mounted in his house.
His gun and knife can both be viewed as phallic
symbols, and he presumptuously invites himself (or
as good as) to Sylvia’s home as soon as he meets
her, and later offers money in return for the
whereabouts of the white heron.
Examples of Marxist Criticism
Zimbabwe Land Pat-A-Cake
Reforms
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man;
(2000s)
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;
Bolivarian Revolution in
Roll it, pat it, and mark it with a “B”,
Venezuela
(1999) Put it in the oven for baby and me.
What is Marxist and Moralist?
Moralist Marxist
To figure out what is right To create a classless society
and wrong based on where resources are shared
rules and values from equally. Marxist focuses on
religion, philosophy, or changing society to reduce
culture. moralist focuses inequality and promote
on personal right and fairness in how resouces are
wrong based on values distributed.
and ethics.
Thank You!
