2. MARXISM
• There are only 2 groups – or classes – in society
• Bourgeoisie (the have‟s)
• Proletariat (the have not‟s)
• The numerically smaller bourgeoisie – aka the capitalist class, aka the ruling class – own the
means of production
• The numerically bigger proletariat own nothing – to survive you sell yourself (your labour, your
time)
• The bourgeoisie / capitalist class / ruling class then use what they own and control to steer
society to secure their own interests
• For example – the media – ownership and control of the media has always been a hot topic
because it is thought that the media (TV / film / newspapers / video games / internet /
magazines / radio) are all useful channels for communicating information – the question, is
what type of information?
• Does Call of Duty justify and reinforce the so-called „war on terror‟? MW2 – where terrorists
strike on American territory and the infamous airport massacre scene?
5. [MARXIST] GRAND NARRATIVE
• Marxists believe that power flows only one way in society – from top down to the bottom
• From the bourgeoisie down to the proletariat
• From the Olympian gods that run „Everycity‟ like Baltimore to the people at the
bottom
• The postmodern view of the flow of power in society is different – adopts Michel
Foucault‟s belief that power in society flows in a range of different directions – top to
bottom, bottom to top, and any other route
• McNulty – a detective – the bottom rank in his organisation ordinarily would not hold
too much power – “chain of command” – but his conversation and friendship with
Judge Phelan (an Olympian god) gives him more power and influence than any other
officer of his rank (Kima / Carver / Herc)
6. QUESTIONS
• Is The Wire a grand narrative?
• Is it a Marxist grand narrative?
7. PROBLEM
• IF we decide that it is a grand narrative
• THEN it becomes problematic to label the programme as a postmodern text
• BECAUSE Lyotard argues that in this postmodern era, grand narratives are things of the
past
• Seemingly, it is hard to be a postmodern grand narrative – oxymoron, contradiction in
terms
