LITERATURE REVIEW: FREDRIC JAMESON’S MARXIST LITERARY CRITISM

By: Allisa Septya Zahra C.P

Fredric Jameson is one of the most influential Marxist thinkers in contemporary cultural and literary
studies. He not only reformulated Marxist theories within the framework of cultural criticism, but also
offered a new approach to literary works by emphasizing the importance of history, ideology, and
narrative form. Through his major works such as Marxism and Form (Jameson F. , orm: Twentieth-
Century Dialectical Theories of Literature., 1971), The Political Unconscious (Jameson F. , The
Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act., 1981), and Postmodernism, or, The
Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (Jameson F. , 1991), Jameson developed a method of literary
analysis that bridges Marxism, psychoanalysis, and postmodern theory.
The relevance of Jameson's approach is increasingly prominent in the context of an increasingly
complex literary world, where form, genre, and content can no longer be separated from the social,
political, and economic relations that shape them. With an approach that is not only structural, but
also historical and ideological, Jameson invites us to read literature as a battleground for meaning that
is constantly changing and determined by the dynamics of society. He treats literary criticism as a
form of political intervention—a way to dismantle the dominant forces that work subtly in works of
art and culture.
Ramayda Akmal's writing in Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra (Akmal, 2013) entitled "Fredric Jameson's
Marxist Literary Criticism: Theory and Application" offers a comprehensive synthesis of Jameson's
thoughts by emphasizing theoretical and methodological aspects. This article is important because it
not only systematically reorganizes Jameson's thoughts, but also provides an applicable framework
for analyzing literary works, especially in the Indonesian context which is rich in socio-historical
issues.

1. Fredric Jameson's Basic Thoughts

Jameson developed Marxist literary criticism from three main foundations: Marxism, psychoanalysis
(Jameson F. , 1991)(especially Freud and Lacan), and postmodernism. He treats literature as a cultural
product that has a complex relationship with the basic structure (economic and political base). Unlike
classical Marxism which emphasizes the direct determination between base and superstructure,
Jameson proposes a more flexible and non-linear dialectical relationship.
In Marxism and Form, Jameson emphasizes that literary form is not merely an aesthetic aspect, but an
important ideological manifestation. He adopts the ideas of Lukács on reification and Adorno on
commodification, then emphasizes that art can be a medium to fight the fragmentation of society
caused by advanced capitalism.
2. The Political Unconscious: Ideology and History in Literature
In The Political Unconscious, Jameson introduces the concept of the political unconscious. He
believes that literary texts contain traces of history and ideology in the lower layers of consciousness.
Literary criticism, for Jameson, is an interpretive practice that must explore these latent layers by
reading the text like a psychoanalyst reading a patient's dream: looking for what is hidden,
suppressed, and repressed by ideological power.
Ramayda Akmal explains that Jameson's approach to history is dialectical. History is not a static
background, but an active structure that shapes and is shaped by literary narratives. Therefore, to
understand the latent meaning of a work, a critic must read the narrative as "signs" of the social
contradictions at work.
3. Form as a Trace of Ideology
Jameson strongly emphasizes the importance of form in literary analysis. He considers form to be the
primary location where ideology works. Genre, narrative structure, and style are expressions of
specific historical conditions. In this article, Akmal cites the example of Jameson’s analysis of
Tennyson’s epic Idylls of the King. There, the fragmented epic form reflects the ideological anxieties
of English society during the period of imperialist expansion.
Furthermore, genres such as romance and realism are also analyzed as containers for utopian
narratives and ideological distortions. For example, Jameson reads romance as a form that holds the
logic of a “happy ending” that parallels the Marxist historical vision of a classless society. Even in
texts that seem apolitical and fantasy, there are still historical structures that shape them.
4. Integration of Psychoanalysis into Marxist Criticism
One of Jameson's greatest contributions is the integration of Marxism and psychoanalysis. He
juxtaposes Freud's concept of the unconscious with Marx's ideological structure, then combines them
into a framework of literary analysis that sees texts as spaces where historical trauma, ideological
repression, and utopian dreams meet. In this case, Jameson adopts the theory of repression and the
analogy between literary critics and therapists.
Lacan's concept of the Real, the Symbolic, and the Imaginary is also used to explain how literary texts
are expressions of historical conditions that cannot be accessed directly. History, in Jameson's sense,
is a reality that can only be mediated through narrative and symbolic forms.
5. Critique of Postmodern Culture
Jameson sees postmodernism as an expression of late capitalism. In Postmodernism, or the Cultural
Logic of Late Capitalism, he criticizes that postmodern cultural works lose their historical dimension
and become trapped in pastiche — imitation of style without content. Ramayda Akmal notes that
although Jameson seems pessimistic about the direction of contemporary culture, he nevertheless
attempts to show that the potential for critique and resistance can still be found even in postmodern
works.
Thus, Jameson's work maintains the Marxist emancipatory spirit, namely to dismantle oppressive
structures in culture, including popular culture.

Ramayda Akmal's article provides a systematic and sharp reading of Fredric Jameson's thoughts
within the framework of Marxist literary criticism. Through a structured presentation, readers are not
only introduced to the complexity of Jameson's theory, but are also directed to how it is actually
applied in reading literary texts. This review confirms that Jameson's approach is very relevant,
especially in making literary works the object of in-depth ideological and historical analysis.
One of the most important contributions of Jameson's approach is the emphasis on form as the main
locus of ideology. If in the traditional Marxist approach content is often the center of analysis,
Jameson emphasizes that the genre, narrative structure, and aesthetic conventions of a work are
important parts in revealing the ideology that works immanently in the text. As Akmal explains in his
review of Jameson's analysis of Idylls of the King, literary form is not just a container for stories, but
an ideological medium that reflects and at the same time shapes the socio-historical conditions of its
time.
In addition, the integration of psychoanalytic theory within a Marxist framework makes Jameson's
approach even more complex and relevant. By taking Freud's concept of repression and Lacan's
concept of the Real, the Symbolic, and the Imaginary, Jameson views literary texts as collective
psychic spaces where ideology, history, and social trauma work unconsciously. This opens up a
deeper reading space, not only to what the text explicitly displays, but also to what is hidden,
repressed, and manipulated by the dominant system.

In the Indonesian context, as mentioned by Akmal, Jameson's approach has great potential to be
applied to works born in complex historical situations: colonialism, authoritarianism, to global
capitalism. Indonesian literary texts often carry layers of meaning, and Jameson's framework allows
for readings of the "political unconscious" that may not be visible on the surface. In other words,
Jameson helps to uncover the ideological veil that shrouds representation in literature.
On the other hand, Jameson's critique of postmodern culture also makes an important contribution to
contemporary cultural studies. He warns of the dangers of pastiche and loss of historical reference in
cultural works of the late capitalist era. However, he remains convinced that even in such conditions,
traces of resistance can still be found. This means that no cultural work is completely sterile from the
potential for ideological criticism. This dialectical optimism is what makes Jameson different from
other postmodern critics who tend to be cynical or skeptical of the possibility of change. Most
importantly, Jameson emphasizes that literary criticism is a political practice. The act of interpretation
is not a neutral process, but is always involved in relations of power, history, and ideology. Therefore,
criticism is not only about dissecting the text, but also about dismantling the forces at work behind it.
Thus, Jameson's approach gives a new role to literary critics: as active readers, interpreters of history,
and agents of cultural change.
On the other hand, Jameson's critique of postmodern culture also makes an important contribution to
contemporary cultural studies. He warns of the dangers of pastiche and loss of historical reference in
cultural works of the late capitalist era. However, he remains convinced that even in such conditions,
traces of resistance can still be found. This means that no cultural work is completely sterile from the
potential for ideological criticism. This dialectical optimism is what makes Jameson different from
other postmodern critics who tend to be cynical or skeptical of the possibility of change. Most
importantly, Jameson emphasizes that literary criticism is a political practice. The act of interpretation
is not a neutral process, but is always involved in relations of power, history, and ideology. Therefore,
criticism is not only about dissecting the text, but also about dismantling the forces at work behind it.
Thus, Jameson's approach gives a new role to literary critics: as active readers, interpreters of history,
and agents of cultural change.

References
Akmal, R. (2013). Kritik Sastra Marxis Fredric Jameson: Teori dan Aplikasinya [Marxist Literary
Criticism of Fredric Jameson: Theory and Application]. Poetika: Jurnal Ilmu Sastra, 1(1), 62-
74.
Jameson, F. (1971). orm: Twentieth-Century Dialectical Theories of Literature. Princeton University
Press.
Jameson, F. (1981). The Political Unconscious: Narrative as a Socially Symbolic Act. Cornell
University Press.
Jameson, F. (1991). Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. . Duke University
Press.