Marxist Literary Criticism

Literary Criticism

Marxist Criticism

• Focuses on the role of economics and class struggle in literature
• Analyzes how literature reflects and shapes societal values and power structures
• Key concepts:
  • Ideology: the set of ideas that justify the dominant class's power
  • False consciousness: the misunderstanding of one's own social and economic situation
  • Alienation: the exploitation of the working class by the ruling class
• Examples:
  • Shakespeare's plays as reflections of Elizabethan England's power structures
  • Dickens' novels as critiques of industrial capitalism

Feminist Criticism

• Examines the role of gender and sexuality in literature
• Analyzes how literature reflects and shapes societal attitudes towards women and gender
• Key concepts:
  • Patriarchy: the social and cultural system that privileges men over women
  • Gender roles: the social expectations associated with being male or female
  • Sexual politics: the power dynamics between men and women in literature
• Examples:
  • The representation of women in Shakespeare's plays
  • The portrayal of female characters in 19th-century novels

Postcolonial Criticism

• Focuses on the literature of colonized cultures and the impact of colonialism on literature
• Analyzes how literature reflects and resists colonial power structures
• Key concepts:
  • Orientalism: the Western portrayal of Eastern cultures as exotic and inferior
  • Hybridity: the blending of cultural identities in postcolonial literature
  • Subaltern: the marginalized or oppressed group in a colonial society
• Examples:
  • The works of Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy as postcolonial critiques of Indian culture
  • The representation of colonialism in African and Caribbean literature

Psychoanalytic Criticism

• Applies psychoanalytic theory to the study of literature
• Analyzes the unconscious motivations and desires of characters and authors
• Key concepts:
  • The Oedipus complex: the unconscious desire to replace the parent of the opposite sex
  • The Id, Ego, and Superego: the three structures of the human psyche
  • Repression: the process of pushing unacceptable thoughts or desires into the unconscious
• Examples:
  • The psychological motivations of characters in Shakespeare's plays
  • The symbolism of dreams and the unconscious in literature

New Historicism

• Analyzes literature as a product of its historical and cultural context
• Focuses on the power dynamics and social forces that shape literature
• Key concepts:
  • Contextualization: the placement of a text within its historical and cultural context
  • Cultural materialism: the study of literature as a reflection of social and economic forces
  • Microhistory: the study of small, local events and their impact on literature
• Examples:
  • The historical context of Shakespeare's plays and their reflection of Elizabethan politics
  • The impact of the Industrial Revolution on 19th-century literature

Literary Criticism

Marxist Criticism

• Sees literature as a reflection of societal power structures and class struggle
• Analyzes how literature perpetuates or challenges the dominant class's power
• Key concepts:
  • Ideology: the set of ideas that justify the dominant class's power, often hiding the true economic interests
  • False consciousness: when the working class misunderstands their own social and economic situation, perpetuating their oppression
  • Alienation: the exploitation of the working class by the ruling class, leading to feelings of powerlessness
• Examples:
  • Shakespeare's plays reflect the power structures of Elizabethan England, with monarchs and nobles holding power
  • Dickens' novels critique industrial capitalism, highlighting the exploitation of the working class

Feminist Criticism

• Examines how literature reflects and shapes societal attitudes towards women and gender
• Analyzes how literature perpetuates or challenges patriarchal power structures
• Key concepts:
  • Patriarchy: a social and cultural system that privileges men over women, often subtly
  • Gender roles: social expectations associated with being male or female, influencing behavior and opportunities
  • Sexual politics: the power dynamics between men and women in literature, revealing underlying social attitudes
• Examples:
  • Shakespeare's plays often feature women in limited, stereotypical roles, reflecting the patriarchal society of his time
  • 19th-century novels often portray female characters as passive, submissive, and dependent on men, perpetuating gender stereotypes

Postcolonial Criticism

• Focuses on literature from colonized cultures and the impact of colonialism on literature
• Analyzes how literature reflects and resists colonial power structures
• Key concepts:
  • Orientalism: the Western portrayal of Eastern cultures as exotic, inferior, and often barbaric
  • Hybridity: the blending of cultural identities in postcolonial literature, challenging traditional notions of identity
  • Subaltern: the marginalized or oppressed group in a colonial society, often silenced or erased
• Examples:
  • Salman Rushdie's and Arundhati Roy's works challenge traditional notions of Indian identity and culture, resisting colonial legacies
  • African and Caribbean literature often portrays the brutalities of colonialism, giving voice to the subaltern experience

Psychoanalytic Criticism

• Applies psychoanalytic theory to literature, exploring unconscious motivations and desires
• Analyzes the psychological dynamics of characters and authors
• Key concepts:
  • Oedipus complex: the unconscious desire to replace the parent of the opposite sex, influencing character motivations
  • Id, Ego, and Superego: the three structures of the human psyche, shaping character behavior and decision-making
  • Repression: the process of pushing unacceptable thoughts or desires into the unconscious, influencing character actions
• Examples:
  • Shakespeare's characters often exhibit Oedipus complex tendencies, driving the plot and character development
  • Symbolism in literature often represents repressed desires or unconscious fears, revealing the psychological dynamics of characters

New Historicism

• Analyzes literature as a product of its historical and cultural context
• Focuses on the power dynamics and social forces that shape literature
• Key concepts:
  • Contextualization: placing a text within its historical and cultural context, highlighting its social and cultural relevance
  • Cultural materialism: studying literature as a reflection of social and economic forces, revealing the power structures behind the text
  • Microhistory: examining small, local events and their impact on literature, highlighting the complexity of historical context
• Examples:
  • Shakespeare's plays are shaped by the politics and cultural values of Elizabethan England, reflecting the monarch's power and cultural anxieties
  • The Industrial Revolution's impact on 19th-century literature, with authors responding to the changing social and economic landscape

Quiz on Marxist literary criticism, focusing on the role of economics and class struggle in literature. Analyzes how literature reflects and shapes societal values and power structures.