You Believe…

*that getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities, including education, philosophy, religion, government, the arts, science, technology, the media, etc.

*that all human activities should be analyzed in terms of the distribution and dynamics of economic power

*that the conduct of people in social situations is governed not by their individual free will but by rituals that reflect and preserve the social and economic order

*that free will is largely an illusion as people play out the roles assigned to them by their society

*that differences in socioeconomic class divide people in ways that are much more significant than differences in religion, race, ethnicity, or gender

Some Questions That Guide Your Thoughts…

*Who has the power and money?  Who does not?  What happens as a result?

*How do individuals play out the roles assigned to them by their society, not recognizing their lack of freedom to behave otherwise?

*How does the representation of the world in the text—including the events narrated and roles of the characters—work to reproduce or sustain the prevailing social and economic order? 

-adapted from Lois Tyson (Critical Theory Today) and Sheridan Blau

-for more information:

Intro to Marxism

Definition of Marxist Criticism