Here is a two paragraph critique of William Blake's poem "The Little Black Boy" applying the Marxist approach:
This poem depicts the racial and economic inequality that existed during Blake's time in 18th century England. The little black boy recognizes from a young age that due to the color of his skin, he will face oppression and lack the same privileges as the "white as an angel" English children. As a black child born in the "southern wild," he is already marked as an outsider and "bereft of light" or enlightenment. His mother, who is presumably a slave or servant, teaches him underneath a tree in the heat of the day, showing their lower economic status. Through this poem, Blake highlights how
Here is a two paragraph critique of William Blake's poem "The Little Black Boy" applying the Marxist approach:
This poem depicts the racial and economic inequality that existed during Blake's time in 18th century England. The little black boy recognizes from a young age that due to the color of his skin, he will face oppression and lack the same privileges as the "white as an angel" English children. As a black child born in the "southern wild," he is already marked as an outsider and "bereft of light" or enlightenment. His mother, who is presumably a slave or servant, teaches him underneath a tree in the heat of the day, showing their lower economic status. Through this poem, Blake highlights how
Here is a two paragraph critique of William Blake's poem "The Little Black Boy" applying the Marxist approach:
This poem depicts the racial and economic inequality that existed during Blake's time in 18th century England. The little black boy recognizes from a young age that due to the color of his skin, he will face oppression and lack the same privileges as the "white as an angel" English children. As a black child born in the "southern wild," he is already marked as an outsider and "bereft of light" or enlightenment. His mother, who is presumably a slave or servant, teaches him underneath a tree in the heat of the day, showing their lower economic status. Through this poem, Blake highlights how
Here is a two paragraph critique of William Blake's poem "The Little Black Boy" applying the Marxist approach:
This poem depicts the racial and economic inequality that existed during Blake's time in 18th century England. The little black boy recognizes from a young age that due to the color of his skin, he will face oppression and lack the same privileges as the "white as an angel" English children. As a black child born in the "southern wild," he is already marked as an outsider and "bereft of light" or enlightenment. His mother, who is presumably a slave or servant, teaches him underneath a tree in the heat of the day, showing their lower economic status. Through this poem, Blake highlights how
Critique a literary selection based on the following approaches: (Marxist)
Objectives
• Understand the concept of Marxist theory;
• Identify the importance of characterization in analyzing a story; and • Analyze a song based on Marxist Approach.
Let’s Understand
Study the concept of Marxist Approach.
Who started the Marxist?
Karl Heinrich Marx is a German philosopher and the most influential socialist thinker of the 19th century. Some of his notable works are “The Communist Manifesto (1848) and the Das Capital (1867). The important definition of a term that Marxists had been used, is the Bourgeoisie which refers to the owners of the means of production in the society and the Proletariat refers to the workers of the society. Marxist theory opposed the idea of Capitalism which is an economic system that is based on private ownership of the means of production and the creation of goods or services for profit. He criticizes capitalism for its tendency to abuse the working man, or the “proletariat”, by paying a wage that barely guarantees the workers’ survival. According to him, to remove the proletariat from its poor economic situation, a socialist revolution must occur to remove the unconcerned ruling class from the government. ● The Marxist literary criticism ● Belief that literature reflects class struggle and materialism ● It looks at how literature functions with other aspects of the superstructure. ● Investigates how literature can work as a force for social change, or as a reaffirmation of existing conditions. ● It examines how history influences literature; Marxism focuses on the lower class Here are the points in analyzing a text using the Marxist approach: 1. Economic power- economic system is the moving force behind the human history, thus, understand the historical circumstances. 2. Materialism vs. spirituality- examine the relationship among socioeconomic groups to achieve insight into ourselves and society. 3. Class conflict- the friction between Proletariat and Bourgeoisie 4. Art, literature, and ideologies- the dominant class or higher class control the art, literature, and ideologies. How to Analyze literary text/selection/piece using the Marxist approach:
1 1. Approach the text on how the characters interact and their social relationship. 2. Evaluate the roles of all characters. Look at their economic status. 3. Examine the choices of the characters including how do they use their free time. 4. Assess the role of the government in the piece of literature.
Let’s Apply
Read the short story and answer the guide questions below:
"The Necklace" or "The Diamond Necklace" is an 1884 short story by French writer Guy de Maupassant. It is known for its twist ending, which was a hallmark of de Maupassant's style. The story was first published on 17 February 1884 in the French newspaper Le Gaulois.
Mathilde is born to a low-class family; with no money for a dowry, she is married to Monsieur Loisel, a clerk from the Board of Education. Mathilde–now Madame Loisel–had always felt like she should have been upper class and is unhappy in her married life: she hates their home, their food, and her lack of fine clothing and jewelry. One evening, her husband excitedly presents her with an invitation to attend an event at the Minister of Public Instruction’s home. To the surprise of M. Loisel, Mme. Loisel throws the invitation down in dismay, weeping and complaining that she has nothing to wear to such an event. Her husband offers to give her the money for something suitable, but as the day of the ball approaches, she is still dismayed. When asked why, she replies that she is embarrassed to attend the ball without any jewels.
Her husband suggests that she ask to borrow some jewels from her rich friend, Madame Forestier. She agrees and goes to see her friend the next day, greedily choosing one of Madame Forestier’s finest necklaces. At the ball, Madame Loisel is a hit: elegant, joyful, and desired for waltzes. She and M. Loisel return home at nearly 4 o’clock in the morning, and only when they arrive home does Mme. Loisel realize she lost the necklace. After a week with no news, M. Loisel proclaims that they must replace it, and the couple finds a replacement for 36,000 francs. Loisel has 18,000 francs from his father’s will and borrows the remaining sum, bit-by-bit and making “ruinous promises” (p.36) along the way. After all this, Madame Loisel is able to return the newly bought necklace in the original’s case, apparently rousing no suspicion.
To pay off the debt, both Monsieur and Madame Loisel must work tirelessly. After ten years, they are finally able to pay off all their debts. One day, while taking a walk, Madame Loisel runs into Madame Forestier. She approaches her old friend, but Mme. Forestier almost doesn’t recognize her. In sudden emotion, Madame Loisel reveals her entire story of losing the necklace, replacing it, and working off the cost of the replacement ever since. In response, Madame Forestier replies that the original necklace contained not actual diamonds but rather fake diamonds, meaning the original necklace cost no more than 500 francs.
TASK 2
Guide questions: 1. Who are the characters in the short story? Describe each of them. 2. Describe the social status of the character in the story. 3. What are the social struggles of Matilde?
2 4. If the main character were in the higher class, do you think she would have realized that the necklace was fake? Explain. 5. In this short story, who has the money/power and who does not? 6. What do you think is the result of this power imbalance?
Let’s Analyze
Read the following testimonials on the experience during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Answer the guide questions below:
How do you and your family feel during this period? How do you cope?
Ruth: I and my family try to be calm about this present situation as if it is just a normal day. We can do nothing with it, because it is already an actual scenario, so we just need to deal with it. To become a responsible citizen in this time of crisis, we contribute by staying at home and by applying the proper hygiene practices, especially proper handwashing during critical times, as what we have learned from W&L hygiene sessions. Since I am a dry fish vendor, every time I go out of our house to sell dried fish, I am always wearing a face mask, and hand gloves. We also apply social distancing with my customers. To cope with our daily basic needs, my siblings are also helping me to have an income; they sell halo-halo (a Filipino dessert), and barbeque. So far, only the Barangay Local Government Unit has distributed relief goods to us which are more on food. But we do not rely on the support from the government because it’s just very limited. That is why we must make a living for us to survive in this pandemic.
Richard: The situation is very difficult for us especially that we have no money and savings to survive this enhanced community quarantine. So, for the question on “how we feel about it”? Worry. We are in deep worry that we may no longer survive this crisis in the country. It is difficult to fathom how we are going to survive. We only survive with noodles and sardines right now. We are worried that the stocks might not sustain long enough for the whole quarantine period. What if the stocks will not be enough? What if we can no longer afford to buy food? It is hard to tell if we can still survive. Source: https://eauetvie.fr/en/node/168
Guide questions:
1. What are their struggles during this time of pandemic?
2. How do their specific situations — for example, their job, housing — affect themselves, their family, and those people around them? 3. How are their situations similar to you? How do they differ? 4. Choose and explain one significant quote from the testimonials that made an impression on you. 5. Based on the testimonials, how do you think social class and personal circumstances can affect how different people experience the social and economic consequences of the pandemic? Give examples to support your answer.
3 Let’s Evaluate
Critique the poem below by writing a 2-paragraph essay.
Apply the concept of Marxist approach.
The Little Black Boy
BY WILLIAM BLAKE
My mother bore me in the southern wild,
And I am black, but O! my soul is white. White as an angel is the English child: But I am black as if bereav'd of light.
My mother taught me underneath a tree
And sitting down before the heat of day, She took me on her lap and kissed me, And pointing to the east began to say.
Look on the rising sun: there God does live
And gives his light and gives his heat away. And flowers and trees and beasts and men receive Comfort in morning joy in the noonday.
And we are put on earth a little space,
That we may learn to bear the beams of love, And these black bodies and this sun-burnt face Is but a cloud, and like a shady grove?
For when our souls have learned the heat to bear
The cloud will vanish we shall hear his voice. Saying: come out from the grove my love & care, And round my golden tent like lambs rejoice.
Thus, did my mother say and kissed me,
And thus, I say to little English boy. When I from black and he from white cloud free, And round the tent of God like lambs we joy:
Ill shade him from the heat till he can bear,
To lean in joy upon our fathers’ knee. And then I'll stand and stroke his silver hair, And be like him and he will then love me.
Let’s Create
Your goal is to create an analysis of a song “Paradise”
Goal: by BTS using the Marxist Approach. Role: You are a song analyst.
Audience: Your audience is your family, relatives, and friends.
Situation: You have watched from the YouTube Ad that Paranaque City Hall needs a song analyst for the
4 upcoming competition on Literary Criticism. One of the requirements is to listen to the song “Paradise” by BTS then use Marxist Approach to analyze the song. Create a 2-paragraph (200-300 words) song analysis using the Marxist Approach. You will enjoy the cash benefits once accepted. Product/Performance: The output is a song analysis of Paradise by BTS. Standards: The output will be graded through a provided rubric.
ENGLISH VERSION OF PARADISE (BTS)
There is a dream paradise at the end But the real world Unlike a promise We have to run When you shoot the signal You have no destination There is no landscape When the chest overflows You need to
It's okay to stop
You do not have to run without knowing why It's fine without a dream If you have moments of happiness for a while It's okay to stop I do not run without knowing my purpose It's fine without a dream All your breathing is already in paradise
We make dreams from others (like debt)
Be taught to be great (like light) Your dream. In fact load If only the future is a dream What did I do last night in bed? Even if the name of the dream is different, it's okay Buying a laptop next month Or just eating I do not have cancer, but I have a lot of money Dreams are big Just be someone We deserve a life What's big and small is just you
But the real world
Unlike a promise We have to run When you shoot the signal You have no destination There is no landscape When the chest overflows You need to
It's okay to stop
You do not have to run without knowing why It's fine without a dream
5 If you have moments of happiness for a while It's okay to stop I do not run without knowing my purpose It's fine without a dream All your breathing is already in paradise
I dont have a dream
Dreaming is sometimes scary I just live like this This is a small dream for me to survive Dreaming is a dream Breathe sometimes Someone like to live like that The world is insulting me
Yeah The world is not qualified to blaspheme What is Dreaming Because I never taught him I dreamed of dreaming so I could sleep with tears I wake up from a nightmare to you Let's smile every day now in that paradise
It's okay to stop
I do not run without knowing my purpose It's fine without a dream All your breathing is already in paradise
Stop runnin 'for nothin' my friend
Now finish the stupid race Stop runnin 'for nothin' my friend All your breathing is already in paradise
