Marxist Criticism--Introduction

Representatives (Development)
Contemporary
Two WWs Early time
Vulgar Marxist economic determinism
Effect of the superstructure
Prosperity Various types
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the later development
of various kind
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Development of Marxist Criticism
1920s
Since then
Since then
systematized
impetus: 1917, October Revolution of Russia change in belief around socialist ideal
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Between the two World Wars

Feature Western Marxism was more concerned with the effect on the economic base by the superstructure Representatives Georg Luká cs Bertolt Brecht The Frankfurt School
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The Division of Marxism
Classical Marxism Early Western Marxism Late Marxism Note: It is to be noted that this division, though chronological in nature, by no means indicates that the later period was to replace the former. They in fact coexist with a complex inter-connection in between.
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Raymond Williams the writings of Karl Marx the systems developed by later Marxists out of their writings Marxisms popular at given historical moments Fredric Jameson the Marxian System developed by Karl Marx himself
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Company Logo
Early time
Feature Limited within the formula that economic base determines the superstructure Main ideas Literature: reflection of the social reality, which is determined directly by economic power Representatives Vladimir Maksimovich Friche, Caudwell
Marxist Criticism
Karl Marx(1818.5.5 - 1883.3.14)
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Outline
The Definition
The Division The Development
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Marxism
What is Marxism?
Function: Marxism provides a comprehensive, positive view of human life and history and attempts to show how humanity can save itself from a meaningless life of alienation and despair.
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Marxist Literary Criticism
Definition
Marxist literary criticism is a loose term describing literary criticism based on socialist and dialectic theories. Marxist criticism views literary works as reflections of the social institutions from which they originate. According to Marxists, even literature itself is a social institution and has a specific ideological function, based on the background and ideology of the author. No matter whether the author is conscious or not, novel is the socioeconomic and ideologic product of a certain period and a certain location. E.g. The Great Gatsby is the socio-historical reality and ideology of the 1920s America
a set of social, economic and political ideas
helps to interpret & change the society
through the conflicts between social classes
the control rights of economic resources shape the society's superstruc
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Contemporary
Neo-Marxism (Frankfurt School)
Western Marxism
Structural Marxism
New-Left Marxsim
Analytical Marxism
Marxist Humanism
Post Marxism
Marxism Feminism
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It is to be noted that at every historical moment when Marxism seemed in trouble, Marxist criticism would gain a new development.
The early 1920s saw the heyday of the "anthropological" Marxism; 1930s witnessed a strong leftist literary criticism in the west. Marxism is once again severely challenged in the last years of the twentieth century beginning with the ice age of Reagan-Thatcherism, and it will never be the "true but superfluous," simply because Marxism provide the best analysis on the contradictions of capitalism(Eagleton & Milne 1996: 6).
literary
intertwined
creation is a result of both subjective inspiration and the objective influence of the writer's surroundings
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with the emerging ideologies of the new Russian movement and spread throughout the world.