Marxism

TOPIC OF THE BLOG:- 

This blog is a part of a thinking activity given by Dilip Barad Sir from The English Department, MKBU, Bhavnagar. Check out Dilip Barad sir's Blog Site (Click Here) for more information and knowledge about works and writers. In this blog I am going to discuss Marxism and also try to imply it in other works. 

KARL MARX:-

Karl Marx, born in 1818 and passing away in 1883, was a thinker from Germany who had big ideas about how societies work. He teamed up with Friedrich Engels, and together they came up with an important set of ideas called Marxism. Marx wrote two important books, "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital," where he talked a lot about how money and power are distributed in society.

He was really interested in the idea of classes - rich people and poor people- and how they struggle against each other. Marx believed that throughout history, societies have changed because of this struggle between classes. He also dreamed about a society where there wouldn't be rich or poor, a kind of society without classes. People all around the world have been inspired by Marx's thoughts, and his ideas have been a big deal in movements and revolutions, changing how we think about politics and society. (McLellan)

WHAT IS MARXISM?

In the mid-19th century, Karl Marx, alongside Friedrich Engels to a lesser extent, developed Marxism, a comprehensive ideology comprising three intertwined components. Firstly, it includes a philosophical exploration of human nature, delving into fundamental aspects of human existence. Secondly, it entails a nuanced theory of history, providing insights into the dynamics and evolution of societal structures over time. Lastly, Marxism incorporates a multifaceted socioeconomic and political program, offering a framework for addressing economic inequalities and advocating for transformative political systems. (Chambre)

Marxism has influenced many different subjects, like how we study people and cultures (anthropology), dig into the past (archaeology), talk about art (art theory), understand crime (criminology), explore societies and their values (cultural studies), look at money and jobs (economics), teach and learn (education), think about what's right or wrong (ethics), study movies (film theory), explore places on Earth (geography), understand history (historiography), analyze books and stories (literary criticism), look at media (media studies), think deeply about life (philosophy), study politics (political science), understand how money and power work together (political economy), look at the mind and behavior (psychology), explore science (science studies), study societies and communities (sociology), plan cities (urban planning), and create and enjoy plays (theater).

Let's see some of the examples of Marxism by Implying it on works. 

'HARD TIMES' BY CHARLES DICKENS:-

We can apply Marxism in this work to discover various themes related to social and economic issues during the Victorian era and other ideas in it. 

Class Difference:- In "Hard Times" by Charles Dickens, there's a big gap between two main groups of people: the folks who work hard in factories (like the factory workers) and the rich folks who own and run those factories (like the Gradgrind family). It's like a battle between these two groups, and you can see this struggle throughout the story. The factory workers face tough lives, working hard for little pay, while the rich Gradgrind family has power and control. This difference in power and money shows the tough fight or "struggle" between the working class and the rich in the novel.

Exploitation:- In "Hard Times," the place where the story happens, Coketown, is like a big factory city. The people who work there have really tough jobs with long hours and not much pay. This is what we mean by exploitation - basically, they're being used a lot, and it's not fair.

Alienation:- Imagine feeling like your job is just a tiny part of a big machine, and you're kind of like a robot doing the same thing over and over. That's how the workers in Coketown feel. They're not connected to their work; it's like they're just pieces in a big industrial puzzle. So, the novel shows that the working folks are being used a lot, and they feel disconnected from what they do - it's not a good situation for them. Characters like Stephen Blackpool, a factory worker, face economic injustice, reflecting the broader issues of income inequality and lack of workers' rights during the industrial revolution.

Utilitarianism:- In "Hard Times," there's this idea called utilitarianism, which is like saying the most important thing is to be practical and efficient, like a machine. Thomas Gradgrind, a character in the story, really believes in this idea. He thinks facts and numbers are way more important than feelings and relationships.

Now, the problem here is that when you focus only on facts and numbers, you forget about what makes people human—like having emotions and caring for each other. It's a critique or a complaint about how utilitarian thinking can make a society feel cold and unfeeling.

METROPOLIS (1927):-

Metropolis is a German movie directed by Fritz Lang and released on 10 January 1927. Alfred Abel, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Fritz Rasp, Heinrich George, Brigitte Helm, Theodor Loos, Erwin Biswanger, Heinrich Gotho and Gustav Fröhlich are the star cast of the movie. 

Plot - In the futuristic city of Metropolis, a vast divide exists between the wealthy elite and oppressed workers. Freder, the son of the city's ruler, discovers the harsh conditions faced by the workers and seeks to bridge the gap. His father, discovering a plan for rebellion, manipulates events using a robot replica of a woman named Maria. Chaos ensues, workers revolt, and the real Maria, alongside Freder, helps prevent disaster. The deception is revealed, the villain falls, and Freder succeeds in bringing unity between the classes.

• By examining the clear division between the ruling elite, represented by Joh Fredersen and the wealthy inhabitants of the skyscrapers, and the oppressed working class confined to the underground. This stark contrast reflects the Marxist notion of class struggle.

• By using the robot replica of Maria to manipulate the workers. Fredersen uses the robot to create false consciousness among the workers, diverting their attention from the real issues of class oppression. This aligns with Marxist ideas of the ruling class controlling ideology to maintain power.

SYMBOLS:-

MACHINERY:-

In "Metropolis," the big and complicated machines the workers use in the underground represent the tools and things needed to make stuff, like the source of all the things we use. The workers, by working these machines all the time, are making the rich people even richer. This fits with what Karl Marx talked about - the idea that the things used to make stuff (means of production) play a big role in how society works and who has power.

SKYSCRAPERS:-

In "Metropolis," the really tall buildings where the rich people live show who's in charge. These big structures are like a symbol of how much money and control the upper class has. It's like a way of showing that some people are way more important and powerful than others. So, the movie uses these huge buildings to say something about how society is set up, with some people at the top having a lot, and others at the bottom having less.

THE HEART MACHINE:-

In "Metropolis," there's this important thing called the Heart Machine in the city. It's like the beating heart of all the industry and work happening. But, when it breaks and causes a big explosion, it shows that focusing too much on getting things done quickly and making money can be really bad. The broken Heart Machine represents how the social system doesn't care about the workers' well-being when it's all about efficiency and profit. This connects with what Karl Marx said about the problems with capitalism.

ADVERTISEMENT:-

If we have to know in which way Marxism can be applied in Advertisement, Food Advertisements have the best potential to grab the customer easily. As we already know even though the food are costly in Starbucks and KFC people are more attracted to it and Advertisement is the important reason behind it and when we buy something after watching and get tempt by it, it means from a Marxist perspective, these ads can be seen as tools of ideological control. Here is a video available on YouTube which shows how Foods are manipulated in Advertisements.

• Fast food ads often portray a carefree lifestyle, contributing to the illusion that everyone can afford such indulgences. However, in reality, there are economic disparities, with some people struggling to afford these products while others can enjoy them regularly.
• When ads keep telling you to buy and use things all the time, it creates a culture where buying stuff becomes really important. This matches what Karl Marx criticized about capitalism – that it's all about making and selling things over and over to keep making money. So, these ads contribute to a cycle where companies keep making and selling, and people keep buying, all to make more and more profit.

WORKS CITED:-

• Chambre, Henri and McLellan, David T.. "Marxism". Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Marxism.
• McLellan, David T. and Feuer, Lewis S.. "Karl Marx". Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Nov. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Karl-Marx.
• Open AI. "Chat GPT-3.5".

Words:- 1571

NOTE:- I took help from the Chat GPT for certain points and mostly to make my blog Grammar error free and If you have any questions or doubts comment it down or contact me on my Social Media.