Marxist Marxism is a theory based on conflict
- It claims that the conflict is society is between the rich and the poor
- Political and economic philosophy
- Saw communism as liberation (a way of creating a better society) (getting more out of
people, not just those with money and power)
- He liked capitalism
- He thought capitalism produced inequality
- Enclosure acts (forced people to pack up and move to other places)
- Once they reached cities they couldnt grow their own food and stuff so they had to work
at factories (lead to child labour)
- Created two groups of people (the bourgeoise (middle class)) and the proletariat (poor
people)
- Wanted to make sure the rich got richer as the poor stayed poor
- Called the system communism
Two Classes
Two main classes of society exist in the Marxist framework:
- Bourgeoisie: those who owned the means of production (the wealthy)
- Proletariat: the people who operate the means of production and are thus controlled by
the bourgeoisie
- Since the bourgeoisie own the money in society, they can manipulate politics,
government, education, art, and the media
The proletariat, according to Marx, earns a bare minimum wage/salary while the
bourgeoisie sell the product/service for a disproportionate amount
Other Key Terms
Capitalism: plays a role in Marxism because it encourages commodification
Commodification: transforming something into a [product for commercial purposes, an
item to be bought and sold in the market (i.e. personal information, paid surrogacy, water,
human trafficking)
Conflict: any form of capitalist society will form classes and there will be a conflict because
they the upper class controls the lower class
Dialectical Materialism: The constant conflict caused by material needs. Marx believed
that eventually a proletariat revolution must occur and the means of production would move
to the hands of the masses (those who actually operated it) and a classless society would be
established
Conspicuous Consumption: the obvious acquisition of things only for their sign value
and/or exchange value
Material Circumstances: the economic conditions underlying the society. To understand
social events, one must have a grasp of the material circumstances and the historical
situation in which they occur
Superstructure: The social, political, and ideological systems and institutions (ex: values,
art, and legal processes of a society, that are generated
The High Price of Materialism
-
150 Billion dollars to embed consumer messages
The more someone tends to want materialistic things, they seem more unhappy
People focusing on materialism also tend to not care about the earth, reusing things,
etc.. (like a see saw)
2 Principles
1. People buy handbags and other materialistic items when they feel insecure
2. The more someone is revealed to media, they more likely to want materialistic stuff
As intrinsic value goes up material value goes down.
Class systems are static
Feminist Criticism:
Waves
- First wave feminism
- Legal inequalities between the sexes, this is where they got their vote
- Second wave feminism
- Fought for access to equal opportunity in the workforce and end of legal sex
discrimination
- Third wave feminism
- Advocate for a woman's right to make her own choices about her body and
stated that it was a basic right to have access to birth control and abortion
- Autonomy was in the hands of another person (man)
Feminist Criticism Terms
Feminism: Belief in and desire for equality between the sexes. According to MerriamWebster: "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." It
encompasses social, political and economic equality.
Marginalization: The process or state of being forced to the edges of social and
political significance.
Patriarchy: social organization marked by the supremacy of the father in the clan or
family, the legal dependence of wives and children, and the reckoning of descent and
inheritance in the male line; a society or institution organized according to the
principles or practices of patriarchy
Sexism: behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles
based on gender
Internalized Sexism: When the belief in women's inferiority becomes part of
one's own worldview and self-concept.
Hostile Sexism: The one most people think about. Openly insulting, objectifying
and degrading women.
Benevolent Sexism: Less obvious. Kind of seems like a compliment, even
though it's rooted in men's feelings of superiority. It's when men say women
are worthy of their protection (off the sinking boat first) or that they're more
nurturing than men (therefore should raise children). It's restrictive.
Placates women while still maintaining men's powers by encouraging women to remain in
traditional roles
It promotes continued inequality
Benevolently setlist attitudes suggest that women are purer and nicer than men but also
mentally weaker idk
Misogyny: hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against women
Misandry: hatred of, aversion to, or prejudice against men
Objectification: to treat a person as an object
Dehumanization: to deprive someone of human qualities, personality, or dignity; to
subject someone to conditions or treatment that are inhuman or degrading; to
address or portray someone in a way that obscures or demeans that person's
humanity or individuality
Not all dehumanization is objectification, but all objectification will lead to dehumanization (takes
away their humanity)
Mechanistic Dehumanization: A form of dehumanization that occurs when people are
represented as mechanical objects; when someone is objectified, it can result in
their mechanistic dehumanization (robots, machines, clanker)
Animalistic Dehumanization: a form of dehumanization that occurs when
people are represented as animals (“all animals have the same parts”)
Moral Exclusion is a psychological process where members of a dominant group view
their own group and its norms as superior to others, belittling, marginalizing, excluding,
even dehumanizing targeted groups. This is the mental justification for treating others
as “lesser than” the dominant group.
This is the mental justification for treating others as “lesser than” the dominant group
Br
Br
The Bechdel Test
The Bechdel test, also known as the Bechdel-Wallace test, is a measure of the representation
of women in
film and other fiction.
The usual criteria of the Bechdel Test are:
(1) that at least two women are featured,
(2) that these women talk to each other, and
(3) that they discuss something other than a man.
The Sexy Lamp Test
The Sexy Lamp Test is a thought experiment that is designed to gauge how
relevant a female character is to the plot of a work, in a bid to highlight poor
representation and flawed characterisation of women in media.
This test is applied to a female character to judge whether the storyteller has
given her an adequate presence in the story. A character fails the sexy lamp test
if she can be replaced with a sexy lamp and nothing in the story would chang
The Mako Mori Test
- Asks if a film has a female character who gets her own narrative arc
- The narrative arc cannot be about supporting a man’s story (i think like brave and moana
but mainly brave) (disney wise)
These tests:
- promote critical thinking about media
- illuminate the concept of unconscious bias
- can lead to discussions of quality representation
Marxist Literary Criticism
Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism
Commonalities between Freud and Jung’s division of the Psyche/Self
Freud
Jung
Superego
Persona
Ego
Ego
Id
Shadow
Freudian Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism
Freud:
- Founder of psychoanalysis
- Fought against the idea that physical ailments were the only type of ailments
Psyche: According to Freud, our psyche is made of three elements: the Id, the Superego and
the Ego.
Id: The id is the part of the personality that contains our primitive impulses —such as thirst,
anger, hunger—and the desire for instant gratification or release. According to Freud, we are
born with our id. The id is an important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us
to get our basic needs met. Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle. The id
wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the other circumstances of the
situation. The id is sometimes represented by a devil sitting on someone’s shoulder. As this
devil sits there, he tells the ego to base behavior on how the action will influence the self,
specifically how it will bring the self-pleasure.
Pleasure Principle: The driving force of the id, this refers to one’s desire to obtain immediate
gratification of needs by obtaining pleasure and avoiding pain. When our basic needs are not
met, feelings of anxiety may develop.
Superego: The superego is the part of the personality that represents the conscience, the moral
part of us. The superego develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our
caregivers. It dictates our belief of right and wrong. The superego is sometimes represented by
an angel sitting on someone’s shoulder, telling the ego to base behavior on how the action will
influence society.
Ego: The ego is the part of the personality that maintains a balance between our impulses (our
id) and our conscience (our superego). The ego is based on the reality principle. The ego
understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or
selfish can hurt us in the end. It is the ego’s job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into
consideration the reality of the situation. The ego works, in other words, to balance the id and
superego. The ego is represented by a person, with a devil (the id) on one shoulder and an
angel (the superego) on the other.
Dream: It is a mental event that consists of hallucinations involving imagery and emotions.
Dreams occur during the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage during sleep. According to Freud,
current concerns and unconscious childhood wishes are present during the day and require
gratification and it is dreams that allow us to respond to this demands while continuing to sleep
(e.g., a person who is thirsty dreams about drinking water which allows him to continue sleeping
rather than having to wake up and satisfy his thirst).
Defense Mechanisms: Defense mechanisms are used by the ego as a way to deal with conflict
of problems in life. Operating at an unconscious level, defense mechanisms help to reduce
negative feelings (e.g. anxiety and guilt). Common defense mechanisms include repression,
denial, and projection.
Repression: Repression is a defensive process where an individual’s impulses and instinctual
desires are blocked from entering one’s conscious. Regarded by Freud as the cornerstone of
defense mechanisms, the process of repression involves unconsciously censoring ideas or
memories deemed unacceptable.
Denial: Denial is an individual’s refusal to accept certain or confront (or all) aspects of a given
reality in order to avoid potential feelings of discomfort. It exists on a continuum as it can be
seen as just a normal reaction to a stressful event or to severe psychosis.
Projection: The projection onto another person of feelings, past associations, or experiences.
Fixation: Fixation is a state where a person becomes attached to or overly invested in another
individual or object. Fixation is the result of conflict occurring during the psychosexual stages of
development. Due to frustration or overindulgence occurs, the libido becomes focused on that
stage leading to problematic behaviors later on (e.g., an individual with an oral fixation may
engage in nail biting).
Parapraxis (Freudian Slip): Revealing an unconscious desire or conflict through a mistake, for
example, a slip of the tongue or forgetting someone’s name. Unconscious: Sigmund Freud
proposed that there are three parts (levels) of the mind, the conscious, preconscious, and the
unconscious. The unconscious is the part of the mind that stores feelings, thoughts, and urges
unaware to the individual. These mental contents and processes often influence the conscious
experience even though we are unaware of their existence
Carl Jung’s theories: Jungian psychoanalytic literary criticism
Self: The totality of your personality. It is composed of the Persona, Ego and Shadow.
Persona: Your mask; your social appearance and behaviour. The part of yourself that your ego
is willing to reveal to others. Many people have more than one persona and which persona they
show depends on their audience.
Ego: The centre of your consciousness. The aspect of your personality with which you
consciously identify; the seat of your willpower and decision-making abilities. In dreams, your
ego is represented by you, the dreamer.
Shadow: The repressed aspects of your personality. Things about yourself your ego does not
wish to see or admit to itself; qualities you consider inferior. The shadow can contain positive
and negative content.
Individuation: The process of moving toward your totality; fulfilling your potential; moving away
from conformity and becoming a unique psychological/spiritual individual.
The Unconscious: Everything about yourself that is not known to you; everything about you
that is not related to your ego. It contains your Personal Unconscious and the Collective
Unconscious.
-
-
Personal Unconscious: The part of your unconscious that is the product of your
unique, subjective experience. Your shadow lives here
.
Collective Unconscious: The part of your unconscious that you share with many or all
humans. The archetypes live here.
Archetypes: a recurrent symbol or motif in literature, art, or mythology; part of our collective
unconscious that influence our recurring psychological patterns. Examples: Mother, Maiden,
Crone, Hero, Heroic Journey, Protector, Wise Man/Mentor
Common types: character archetypes, plot archetypes (monomyth/heroic journey) and symbolic
archetypes
The Magician: Get angry when they don't get their way, really smart, and strategical
The Lover: Lead with their heart, not logical, selfless
Strengths: devoted to another; passionate; very open with feelings
Animus: A woman’s “masculine” side. When a woman demonstrates characteristics that are
stereotypically associated with men.
Anima: A man’s “feminine” side. When a man demonstrates characteristics that are
stereotypically associated with women
Post-Colonial Literary Criticism
Colonialism: a political and economic phenomenon whereby various European nations
explored, conquered, settled, and exploited large areas of the world.
Post-Colonial: the study of the effects of colonialism on cultures and societies; it is concerned
with both how European nations conquered and controlled "Third World" cultures and how these
groups have since responded to and resisted those encroachments.
• Since history is written by the victors:
• Post-colonial Criticism is concerned with literature produced by colonial powers and
works produced by those who were/are colonized. Post-colonial theory looks at issues
of power, economics, politics, religion, and culture.
If the literature is from the perspective of the colonized, the stories often recount the suffering
of the colonized people. However, if the literature is from the perspective of the colonizer, the
colonized people may be inaccurately represented and colonization may be glorified and
presented as being exploratory rather than focusing on the destructive events that led to the
death and enslavement of thousands.
Key Terms
• Other: the social and/psychological ways in which a group excludes or marginalizes
another group by stressing dissimilarities and representing through stereotypes. Two types
of the 'other' are the Exotic Other and the Demonic Other
o Exotic Other: represents a fascination with the inherent dignity and beauty of a
primitive/undeveloped other
o Demonic Other: represented as inferior, negative, savage and evil
o both are intended to negatively portray the 'other' as inferior, savage, and/or evil.
• Double Consciousness: the internal conflict experienced by the subordinated groups in an
oppressive society. Refers to the psychological challenge of seeing oneself through the
eyes of a racist dominant group in society and measuring oneself through that perspective.
-
Pretty much internalized sexism but instead of sexism its about race (when you
believe/internally accept negative racial or cultural stereotypes about your own self)
• Hybridity: new transcultural forms that arise from cross-cultural exchange. For
example: combining the culture of origin with that of the host country without
abandoning either cultures (usually experienced by migrants). Can be a conflicting
experience.
• Appropriate: take (something) for one's own use, typically without the owner's
permission.
• Assimilation: to bring into conformity with the customs, attitudes, etc., of a dominant
social group, nation, or culture.
• Hegemony: the power of the ruling class to convince other classes that their interests are
the interests of all, often not only through means of economic and political control but more
subtly through the control of education and media.
• Diaspora: this refers to people who have been dispersed or displaced from their
homelands. As a result, they are not rooted in one location, but often live in memory of
their homeland (they are often concerned with questions of maintaining or altering identity,
language, and culture while in another culture or country)
• Marginalization: The process or state of being forced to the edges of social and political
significance.
• Moral Exclusion is a psychological process where members of a dominant group view
their own group and its norms as superior to others, belittling, marginalizing, excluding,
even dehumanizing targeted groups. This is the mental justification for treating others as
“lesser than” the dominant group.
• Dehumanization: to deprive someone of human qualities, personality, or dignity; to subject
someone to conditions or treatment that are inhuman or degrading; to address or portray
someone in a way that obscures or demeans that person's humanity or individuality
o Mechanistic Dehumanization: A form of dehumanization that occurs when
people are represented as objects; when someone is objectified, it can result in
their mechanistic dehumanization
o Animalistic Dehumanization: a form of dehumanization that occurs when people
are represented as animals
Identity Poem:
- He talks about the difference between white and black people in the sense of
personality, likes, dislikes, education, etc
- Laments on his identity
- Saying his parents made a conscious choice to ignore his own culture so he could
assimilate with the culture/country he was in
- When he was older, they joke about how he is too assimilated with them
Post colonial lense: Indian jones
Tattered clothing on the poc
Idk if indiana jones is white but his outfit is nicer so lowkey idk this could be smth
He whipped the dude helping him
He is more capable than the poc (could swing on the vine and he is smarter) (kinda hinting at
the idea of white being a better, superior race i guess)
He treats the other guy like hes stupid
Made the poc the bad guy who stole the orb or smth idk
Exotic other: savage vs civilized (spears and arrows vs guns)
Cultural appropriation with the idol (when hes taking it) for the museum
A bunch of indigenous peoples with bows and spears that killed the other guy
There is a white man who rules the indigenous peoples and they all bowed to him and listen to
his commands - maybe moral exclusion bc he believes he is superior to those indigenous
peoples
Portraying them very animalistic, hunting wise idk
They killed that guy - demonic other i think (portrayed as savages)
They show them kinda swarming as a herd like animals would idk maybe animalistic
dehumanization
Hegemony: When the new guy was like making signals to the indigenous to kill the guy because
for some reason he was in charge?
Using golden idol as a manipulative force to indigenous peoples but also double cross them
then take the gold for himself (he’s actually stealing from them but pretending he's with them)
Notes:
What is the danger of judging a single story persona
- children are very impressionable, they will assume what they read/are told is the only
right thing idk (they will believe anything)
- The way you start a story changes the story - a single story never has the full truth
- Ex. if you read american psycho you shouldn’t assume all americans are serial killers (if
you judge by a single story you will never have a full understanding of anything)
Examples she includes of people judging people
- People/her roomate assuming she cant use a stove
- The whole “play tribal music” and she plays Mariah carey
- People assumed she knew less without even knowing her