Transcript Marxist Literary Criticism Lord of the Flies

Marxist Literary Criticism
Lord of the Flies
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Literary Criticism is the study, analysis, and evaluation of
imaginative literature.
Formalist approach - when the work of literature is
studied without reference to the history or to the life of
the author.
Humanistic approach - when philosophy and history are
considered. Philosophy explores general ideas, such as
truth, beauty, and goodness. It helps readers
understand themes of the work. History attempts to
determine what happened in the past, and why it
happened. History brings forth the life and times of the
author.
Literary criticism is not “reading between the lines”, it is
reading the lines very carefully, in a disciplined and
informed manner.
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Brief history of the ideology:
Karl Marx (1818-1883)
- theory of dialectical materialism: society, politics and
economics
(Dialectical Materialism: the Marxist theory (adopted as the official philosophy of the
Soviet communists) that political and historical events result from the conflict of social
forces and are interpretable as a series of contradictions and their solutions. The
conflict is believed to be caused by material needs.)
- criticized the exploitation of the working class (proletariat) by the
capitalist class who owned the mines and factories (bourgeoisie)
- believed the system of production was the most basic fact in social
life - whoever controlled it, controlled society - thought the proletariat
should own the means of production
- he wanted an even distribution of the wealth among all
- believed a classless society would result of a revolution where the
proletariat would gather strength and overthrow the bourgeoisie
Marx argued that all mental systems (ideologies) were
the products of social and economic realities. To these
realities he ascribed religious beliefs, legal systems and
cultural expression.
Marx emphasized that it is not the consciousness of
men that determines their social being, but the other
way about.
In literary terms:
Marxists believe(d) that literature is a reflection of
culture. Culture can be affected by literature.
Literature can instigate revolution.
The middle class are the majority of consumers of
literature/art, if they are offered the chance to absorb
literature/arts that are outside of the bourgeoisie
control, then change of ideology could happen.
In terms of the written content - if an author
sympathizes with the working class, and condemns the
power held by the dominant class - he/she is writing in
a Marxist ideology.
Literary critique cont.
It assesses the political tendency of a literary work.
Literature reflects class struggle and materialism: think
how often the quest for wealth traditionally defines
characters. So 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 reflects an author's own class or analysis of
class relations, however piercing or shallow that
analysis may be.
Marxism Four Main Areas of Study: (Read as a group)
1. ** Economic power
2. Materialism versus spirituality
3. ** Class conflict
4. * Art, literature, and ideologies
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References:
http://www.teachrobb.com/documents/Criticism.htm
http://www.arthistoryclub.com/art_history/Marxist_litera
ry_criticism
http://www.textetc.com/theory/marxist-views.html
http://wsu.edu/~delahoyd/marxist.crit.html