Marxism
"Don't let the man keep you down." This, in the proverbial nut-shell, is what Marxist criticism is all about. The Marxist critic believes that the only importance in a piece of literature lays in how it supports or attacks the socioeconomic structure. All the other schools of literary criticism are just missing the point.
Ideologies
An ideology is a system or way of thinking about the world. The way you think about the world is an ideology. The way I think about the world is an ideology. There is no "natural" or "correct" viewpoint. It's all just theories and biases.
Marxism is an ideology, as is capitalism, feminism, naturalism, and many other isms. Many ideologies pass themselves off as the right way or the natural way of thinking about the world. As an American, I've been taught that capitalism is the natural way. Every person has the abillity to pull himself out of poverty by his own determination and actions, and make a good life for himself. It is possible to live the American dream, if only I make enough money. It feels right. It does seem, to me, to be the natural way. As right as it feels though, it is still just an ideology. Marxism is different because it is an acknowledged ideology. It knows it is just a way at looking at the world. Its selling point is that it's a very just way of thinking about the world. In a true Marxist society, every person could work doing something that was meaningful and helped society. Everybody would be able to live comfortably, and take care of their families. Nobody would be economically oppressed. Everyone would be valued.
The Bad Guys
If literary criticism were a spaghetti western movie, and if Marxist Criticism were the hero of our story, then there would be a several ideologies who would all be wearing big black hats.
The first villian, which I've already discussed briefly, is Captalism. To the Marxist critic, Captalism is just a tool of the rich, used to give poor people false hope that they will eventually join the elite, when joining the elite is impossible, because then there won't be an elite. Capitalism, and his sidekick, Consumerism, deal in nothing but false hope and empty promises. Capitalism wears the biggest, blackest hat of all.
The other main villians are Classism and Imperialism. These villians are kind of similar, almost brothers. They aren't nearly as devious as is Captalism. They justify keeping the masses down simply because that's the way it's supposed to be. They both claim a natural social hierarchy which keeps the upper class ruling over the lower classes. The people in the upper class are given every opportunity to succeed, while the lower classes are given none. That noone in the lower classes has ever succeeded just supports the upper class' ideas that the lower class is unfit, or stupid or lazy. These villians aren't as popular now as they once were. Even Captalism doesn't like these villians because Capitalism thrives on maintaining the illusion that anyone can be in the upper class and that everyone has the same chances. Remember, "all men are created equal."
The Job
As a Marxist critic, it's your job to watch movies, and read books, and see plays and then identify the ideology that is presented. Once you've got the ideology nailed down, compare it to your favorite ideology (marxism) to see if it jives with it, or clashes. Does it support or undermine the socioeconomic system? If it supports Marxism, by criticising an unjust socioeconomic structure, then it has Marxist agenda. Praise it. If it supports one of the bad guys, then it has a capitalist, imperialist, or classist agenda. Condemn it. Expose it as what it truly is, a tool of oppression.
Tools of the Trade
You are going to need to pick up some of the lingo if you're going to be an effective Marxist critic.
Bourgeoisie -- (pronounced Boo-ghwa-zee (soft g sound)) This is a French term for the rich people who control everything. Most of us could really get used to the idea of being part of the bourgeoisie. But don't be fooled, in the world of marxist criticism, they are bad.
Proletariat - The poor people who do all the real work. They are usually uneducated and easily fooled into thinking that things other than the bourgeoisie are the cause for their woes. They are wrong, of course.
Exchange Value - when something has worth because of what it can be traded for, or how much money can be gained when selling it. (stocks, bonds, a set of tools*, etc.)
Sign-Exchange Value - when something has worth because it adds to the owner's social status. (A new Dodge Viper, a complete set of really nice and expensive tools*, a really attractive date you don't really like, but it makes everybody else jealous, etc.)
Use Value - when something has worth because of what you can do with it. (A good book, a set of tools*, my old car, etc.)
* Many things can have more than one type of value. It depends on the person's intent of ownership. Why did the person buy them? Tools to build things is use value; Tools to sell is exchange value; Tools to impress your friends who are impressed with things like tools is sign-exchange value.
I'm afraid that's all I can give you now. Go forth and fight injustice, and don't oppress anybody.
www.captiveape.com
3.15.2002