From Each To Each marxism and literature Before
From Each. . . To Each marxism and literature
Before we begin… Note the following definitions: cap·i·tal·ism /ˈkapədlˌizəm/ noun an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.
Before we begin… Note the following definitions: so·cial·ism /ˈsōSHəˌlizəm/ noun a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
Before we begin… Note the following definitions: pro·le·tar·i·at /ˌprōləˈterēət/ noun workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism).
Before we begin… Note the following definitions: bour·geoi·sie /ˌbo or. ZHwäˈzē/ noun (in Marxist contexts) the capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and means of production.
Before we begin… The Chip Game
Rules • 1. For each round of the game, you will have 2 minutes to trade your chips. All trades- including those in progress- must stop when the time is up. • 2. After trading, the student with the most points will be asked to make a rule for the next round of trading. That rule will apply only to the next round.
Chip Point Values: 1 st round. Green 100 points Blue 50 points Red 25 points White 10 points
Debriefing questions • • What happened to you during the game? What happened in the class during the game? What do you think the game was about? Based on this experience, how would you define power?
Before we begin (part II) Read the following quotes. Choose a side of the room depending on whether you agree or disagree with the quote. Be prepared to justify your position.
Agree or Disagree? "All men are created equal. "
Agree or Disagree? Capitalism is a cure for poverty.
Agree or Disagree? Taxing the rich heavily is necessary.
Agree or Disagree? Government funded social programs do not benefit the poor.
Agree or Disagree? Universal healthcare is a basic human right.
Agree or Disagree? The very poor have a safety net, and do not need any further services in the US.
Agree or Disagree? Competition fosters innovation; therefore, we need capitalism.
Agree or Disagree? Big government undermines freedom and prosperity.
Agree or Disagree? A college education should be free for all.
Agree or Disagree? Socialism promotes equality for everyone, while Capitalism concentrates power to few.
Marxism Basics In Marxist theory, the class structure of the capitalist mode of production is characterized by the conflict between two main classes: the bourgeoisie, the capitalists who own the means of production, and the much larger proletariat (or 'working class') who must sell their own labor power Two classes of people, the bourgeoisie (the haves) and the proletariat (the have nots) are in a struggle for power. All human interaction can be understood through class struggle The bourgeoisie have power and want to keep it
Power maintenance The Bourgeoisie maintain power through two primary inventions The Repressive State Apparatus (RSA) The Ideological State Apparatus (ISA)
The RSA The state (government acting on behalf of the capitalists or bourgeoisie) controls through fear RSA’s include the police, the military, the FBI, CIA, NSA--any organization designed to enforce laws
The ISA The state seeks to create passive acceptance of its agenda through ideology (a system of ideas and ideals, esp. one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy). ISA’s include the media, pop-culture, churches, and schools
Capitalist Ideology Think about the American Dream. What are you supposed to want? How are you supposed to get it? How are you supposed to view the rich? What are traditional American Values?
The Tortoise and the Hare http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Me. Ze 2 q. PLPh 0
So What? What’s the intended message? Do you see the ISA? What’s the point of teaching children this story? How might a Marxist look at it?
How about. . . Rolex 10, 000 20, 000 Audemares-Piguet 30, 000 -50, 000 Patek-Phillipe 30, 000 -100, 000
Compared with
What would a capitalist tell these children? and What would a marxist say?
Marxist Reading of Text -Focus on interactions between social classes. -Who has the power and who wants it? -Look for RSA’s and ISA’s. What lessons are being communicated? -Even when an author isn’t dealing with class issues explicitly, the absence can be critiqued as well
Questions a Marxist critic will ask: application • What is the economic situation of the characters? (level of luxury, need to work) • What happens to them as a result of this status? • How do they fare against economic and political odds? • What social forces and institutions are represented in the work? What is the author’s attitude towards them? Marxism and Literary Criticism By Terry Eagleton
Questions a Marxist critic will ask: application • Does the text reflect or resist a dominant ideology? Does it do both? • Does the main character in a narrative affirm or resist bourgeois values? • Whose story gets told in the text? Are lower economic groups ignored or devalued? • Are values that support the dominant economic group given privilege? This can happen tacitly, in the way in which values are taken to be self-evident. Marxism and Literary Criticism By Terry Eagleton
Read. . . Dostoyefsy’s The Heavenly Christmas Tree Focus on ● The interactions between protagonist and others. Who represents what in the work? ● The irony embedded in the setting ● The author’s attitude toward religion in the poem
React How does the story make you feel? With whom do you sympathize? Why?
Respond Write Start here The difference between social classes is exemplified by. . .
Works Cited e. How Contributing Writer, . "How to use Marxist Literary Criticism. " e. How. 2009. e. How, Inc. , 21 Sep 2009. Web. <http: //www. ehow. com/how_2071684_use-marxist-literarycriticism. html>. http: //www 1. assumption. edu/users/ady/HHGateway/ Marxistlitcrit. html http: //bcs. bedfordstmartins. com/virtualit/poetry/critical_define/crit_marx. h http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Marxist_literary_criticism tml
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