Marxist criticism is based on the political and economic theories of Karl Marx. It views economic structures as the main driving force behind social conditions and historical changes. Marxist critics see literature as representing the ideology of its time and explore how society and economic forces influence literary works. They analyze works to understand the class structure and class conflicts portrayed.

1. Literary Criticism
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(III)
MARXISIT CRITICISM

2. • Marxist criticism is based
on the political and
economic theories of Karl
Marx (1818-1883).
• Some representatives of
this school are Christopher
Caudwell, George Lucas,
Luciene Goldmann, and
Walter Benjamin. Carl Marx

3. MARXISM
• Economic structure is the main driving force behind all social
conditions and historical changes.
• Marx considers human history as a series of struggles between
classes -between the oppressed and the oppressing.
• Capitalism is based on exploitation of laborers.
• The workers’ revolution is the inevitable result of exploitation
and the means of emancipation.
• The aim of Marxism is to bring about a classless society, based
on the common ownership of the means of production,
distribution, and exchange.

4. CONCEPTS
• The Marxist idea of society sees it as constituted by
a base (the material means of production,
distribution, and exchange) and a superstructure,
which is the “cultural” world of ideas, art, literature,
religion, education, law, and so on.
• The material conditions control thought, not vise
versa. It is not the consciousness of men that
determines their existence, but their social existence
that determines their consciousness. Marxist theory
argues that the way we think and the way we
experience the world around us are conditioned by
the way the economy is organized.

5. Basic Assumptions of
• Economic
Marxist Criticism
and social conditions affect all aspects of life
including art and literature. All intellectual and artistic
production are the product of these conditions. In other words,
all intellectual and literary production is ideological.
• Art reflects the social and economic conditions (and class
conflict).
• Art aims at improving the social and economic conditions.
• Since literature represents ideology, Marxist critics see it as a
way to understand social structures. They look for political
ideas and ideologies in a text, and explore how society and
economic forces influence literature.
• Marxist critics explain the class structure and class relations in a
literary work.
• Sc0cial and economic conditions inform not only the content of
literature, but also the literary form and techniques.

6. What do Marxist Critics ask?
• What role does class play in the work?
• What is the author's analysis of class relations?
• What does the work say about oppression and
social conflicts?