Marxism

Hello Readers! I'm writing this blog in response to a thinking activity assigned by Professor Dilip Barad of the English Department at MKBU. In this blog, I will explore the concept of Marxism and delve into its fundamental principles.

Karl Marx was a 19th century German thinker most famous for developing a notion of communism in The Communist Manifesto. His notion of communism was not simply a utopia presented in a vacuum, it was a political program meant to critique the social conditions of capitalism. Marxism is one of the most significant theories and a philosophy that has contributed much to the modern world. German Philosopher Karl Marx helped the working class to question the injustice enforced upon them through their wages, lifestyle and oppression. Marxism, for many, is a beginning of progress and evolution. Marx believed that instilling his ideology in the minds of people like him, would one day make the world an ideal classless society. 

Karl Marx was a German-born philosopher, economist, political theorist, historian, sociologist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. Karl Marx was Born in 1818 - one of nine siblings. His family resided in the Rhineland area of Prussia, which had been under French rule. It's noteworthy that both of his parents had roots in Jewish families with illustrious rabbinical ancestries. Marx's ideas and theories and their subsequent development, collectively known as Marxism, have exerted enormous influence on modern intellectual, economic, and political history. Various theoretical variations, including Leninism, Marxism–Leninism, Trotskyism, and Maoism, have emerged as extensions of Marx's ideas. His contributions to economics significantly influence contemporary heterodox theories regarding labor and its connection to capital. Marx is commonly acknowledged as one of the key figures in shaping modern social science.

What is Marxism?

Marxism is a method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectical perspective to view social transformation. It originates from the works of 19th-century German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Their seminal works, such as "Das Kapital" (1867), "The Communist Manifesto" (1848), and "The Condition of the Working Class in England" (1845), established the cornerstone of Marxist theory and philosophy. The Marxist theory combines philosophy, sociology, and economic theory to assert that society is fundamentally created in relation to its economic structure.

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles". 

     - Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto (1848)

Marx believed that history is essentially the story of different sections, known as classes, of society and their struggles and conflicts. In the latter half of the twentieth century, Marxist criticism became more open to other critical perspectives, acknowledging its own evolution as a historical process and emphasizing the role of non-ideological and artistic determinants in literary structures and values.

Marxism is a social, economic and political philosophy that analyzes the impact of the ruling class on the laborers, leading to uneven distribution of wealth and privileges in the society. It stimulates the workers to protest the injustice. The theory was formulated by Karl Marx and Fredrich Engels in their work, ‘The Communist Manifesto’. it was a pamphlet they created during the age of Imperialism, rooting from their own struggles as members of the proletariat lot. According to Marx, History demonstrates the existence of class struggle centuries earlier. He explains the struggle through five stages.

1. Primitive Communism, the age of Hunter-gatherers where every human was treated equally hence, there was an absence of class.

2. The Age of Slavery where there was class distinction between the aristocrats and the slaves.

3. Feudalism where the struggle was between Landlords, owners and the people who rented or used their lands for agriculture.

4. Capitalism, where the labor community (Proletariat) worked their lives off only for the ruling class (Bourgeoisie) to profit from them. This is the stage where Mark and Engels compile ‘Communist Manifesto’ from their plight as workers for the British Factory owners.

5. Socialism is the phase that Marx believed the proletariats would revolt for their justice and eventually form a communist society, free of class distinctions and equal wealth.

Marxist Criticism:

Marxist literary theory and criticism analyse literature from a Marxist perspective. There are many ways of explaining the role of Marxism in literature and literary theory. The aim of Marxism is to bring about a classless society, based on the common ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange. Marxism is a materialist philosophy: that is, it tries to explain things without assuming the existence of a world or of forces beyond the natural world around us, and the society we live in.  

The Marxist criticism definition is an approach to diagnosing political and social problems in terms of the struggles between members of different socio-economic classes. Drawing from this approach, criticism does not aim at the flaws of particular individuals, even if they have attained positions of power. Instead, such an approach focuses on how social life is structured by class oppositions that are determined by laboring relationships. According to Marxists, and to other scholars in fact, literature reflects those social institutions out of which it emerges and is itself a social institution with a particular ideological function. Literature reflects class struggle and materialism: think how often the quest for wealth traditionally defines characters. According to Abrams Marxists generally view literature "not as works created in accordance with timeless artistic criteria, but as 'products' of the economic and ideological determinants specific to that era". Literature can reveal an author's social class or their analysis of class relations, regardless of the depth of that analysis.

The Marxist critic simply is a careful reader or viewer who keeps in mind issues of power and money, and any of the following kinds of questions:

1. How does the concept of class influence the piece, and what's the author's perspective on class dynamics?

2. How do characters in the work combat their subjugation?

3. Does the work support the existing social order or challenge it through propaganda?

4. What does the work convey about oppression, and does it address or divert from societal conflicts?

5. Does the work present a utopian vision as a remedy for the issues it portrays?

In essence, Marxist critics view literature not just as a source of artistic expression but as a reflection of the economic and ideological determinants of its time. They strive to uncover the underlying class struggle and materialism in literature, providing a unique perspective on how literature and society intersect.

Exploring 'The Great Gatsby' through a Marxist Lens: Class Struggles and Materialism:

Marxism and literature are connected in different ways. Now, let's apply a Marxist perspective to discuss the novel 'The Great Gatsby' by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby', a Marxist analysis reveals the class struggle and materialism that permeates the story. The characters, including Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan, and Tom Buchanan, are emblematic of different social classes. Gatsby, who comes from a lower-class background, becomes obsessed with amassing wealth to win the love of the upper-class Daisy. This reflects the Marxist idea that literature often portrays characters driven by the pursuit of wealth.

The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, was himself part of the upper-class society during the Roaring Twenties, and his own class perspective influences the novel. While his analysis of class relations may not be as overtly critical as some Marxist critics would prefer, it still serves as a commentary on the inequalities and excesses of the time, reflecting the economic determinants specific to that era. 'The Great Gatsby' can be seen as both a critique of the upper class's decadence and a commentary on the American Dream during the Jazz Age, where material success was often equated with social status and happiness. Marxist criticism highlights how the pursuit of wealth, and the stark divisions between social classes, are central themes in the novel, offering a lens through which to understand the characters and their motivations.  

In summary, 'The Great Gatsby' under a Marxist lens highlights the stark class divisions and materialism of the 1920s, showcasing how literature can be a mirror reflecting society's socio-economic structures. It's a timeless example of Marxist analysis applied to literature.

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