Marxism is a socio-political and economic theory of German philosopher, Karl Marx, and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel but it is not started as a literary movement or theory. It is difficult to trace the exact years of its emergence as a literary theory due to its historical complication but believed that Marxism is a phenomenon of the 20th century. This school of thought revolves around the three seminal works of 'The German Ideology (1845), The Communist Manifesto (1848), and Das Kapital (1867). The general focus of all these written works is a class distinction, economy, and unfair distribution of wealth with the implications and complications of the capitalist system, but in literature, they believed that "everything is shaped by material, the ideas, conscious and beliefs are the superstructures of the society and the base of every structure is economy".
Tyson states that "Marxism attempts to reveal how our socioeconomic system is the ultimate source of our experience"
Let's come to the three
seminal works and take a closer look at them.
Communist Manifesto
demonstrates the technique used by the bourgeoisie (the elite class) to enslave
the labor class through their economic policies that ultimately lead to the
exploitation of the proletariat. The ideas of this work boost the labor class
and show them the ways to take over the bourgeoisie as well. Government must
take responsibility for every citizen and distribute material equally and
fairly. This school of thought follows a specific way of thinking to know the
truth and reality which is termed as material dialectic.
Richter believes that "what drives historical change are the
material realities of the economic base of society, rather than the ideological
superstructure of politics, law, philosophy, religion, and art that is built
upon that economic base". In simple words, everything is determined by
economy even ideas and concepts. This is the argument cited by German Ideology.
Again in Das Kapital, the maneuvering trick of the elite class is shown, that
they are in few but control the majority. Briefly, human consciousness is
governed by social interaction. There is a continuous clash going on between
the working and elite class and literature is a reflection of that all things.
The conflict leads to a new society of freedom and equality. Marx stated in his
book that "stable societies develop
sites of resistance: contradictions build into the social system that
ultimately leads to social revolution and the development of a new society upon
the old"
In the new society,
there will be harmony, fairness, equality, and equity between the upper and
lower classes. If such happened capitalism will die itself. Marx stressed that
the revolution began by the poor but it should be guided by intellectuals.
Antonio Gramsci, one of
the prominent Marxist thinkers believes that "all the forces of production, which constitute the Base, inevitably
advance and that this, in turn, leads to changes in society". He
called it hegemony.
The school of thought
is not only concerned with the number of publications of a literary work and
depiction of class distinctions rather it attracts the attention of critics to
the style and meanings of a text from different perspectives.
Like other schools of
thought, Marxism also revolves around some questions.
What social class does
the author have?
What social class do
the characters have?
What is the benefit of
the work in case of success?
What type of class
distinction is made drawn?
How do characters from
different classes interact or conflict?
Does it bring any
economic change?
Is there hegemony in
the text?
How does the text
represent the establishment of the status quo?
The discussion can be
concluded by adding that according to Marxism, everything is determined by the
economy, and to arrive at the correct interpretation, it is necessary to study
the economic condition of the author and contemporary society.
