In recent times, there is a growing concern of wealth inequality in America. This has really drawn criticism and challenge to capitalism as the model of socio-economic structure. Debates surrounding this issue are often traditionally addressed through two models: communism and capitalism. Karl Marx, in his work, “The Communist Manifesto,” criticizes capitalism for it’s preaching of individualism and competition, which leads to the exploitation of the working class thus resulting in further antagonization between socio-economic classes. Marx ends his criticism by offering up the complete abandonment of capitalist system in favor of a communistic system in which socio-economic autonomy is in the hands of the state.
Through numerous examples, Institutional Racism demonstrates how inequality and racial exclusion are embedded within the fabric of American society. There are three key components to institutional racism; Economic privilege, social privilege and psychic reward (Better 2008). I would argue that Institutional racism started in American
the industrial revolution meant that by the nineteenth century Britain no longer relied on slave trade to such an extent. Another consideration is the role of the enlightenment on the British people, the concept of slavery no longer fit the morality of the people, this feeling was reinforced by anti-slavery campaigning and the increasing unrest amongst the slaves. Fundamental to the debate to what the most significant factor in securing the freedom of slaves could be argued to be the relative importance of economic factors in precipitating abolition1. Firstly lets recognize that the limitations of slave labour in terms of economic prosperity has been acknowledged by historians as a factor contributing to the emancipation in 1833. Adam Smith observed that slaves were ‘very seldom inventive’, his theory suggests that slaves were inherently inefficient2.
There would be a much greater chance of success for communism, if the location/environment was smaller and consisted solely of those in complete non-forceful compliance. The novel "The Hunger Games", by Suzanne Collins shows the negative effects of a society's attempt at Marxism through the downfall from human nature, corruption of the government, and the incapability to control a large nation. On paper, Marxism seems as if it is a full proof plan; if that is so, then why hasn't the world come to embrace Karl Marx's theory? Human Nature is the answer. Studies have proven that it is one's human nature to think, be, and act selfishly - always putting oneself before others.
How can Marxist criticism open up different interpretations of Celie’s change of status in The Colour Purple? The Colour Purple could be associated with many different Marxist ideas, for example, through the idea of freewill. Through the idea of setting in the novel we are able to see how low class Celie and her family are and how little freewill they have. Many people within her society are treated as slaves to white people and not worthy of an education of a job. This could be linked to the Marxist idea that would believe that Celie’s circumstances with her father and lack of education is a result of the class she is in, Marxists would believe that her oppression is down to the class she was born into.
The Culture of Poverty Amidst this economic downturn, Patricia Cohen’s article in the New York Times, “’Culture of Poverty’ makes a comeback”, cites a resurgence in an interest, by economist and sociologists, in the mindset of those living poverty here in America. The article reveals a subtly ingrained disdain towards people whose income does not qualify as middle class, and more notably, an association between poverty and race. Although an overlap between poverty and heritage is merely coincidental, the effect of racism and social injustice has a penetrating effect. Patricia Cohen writes, “Today, social scientists are rejecting the notion of a monolithic and unchanging culture of poverty. And they attribute destructive attitudes and behavior not to inherent moral character but to sustained racism and isolation” (Cohen).
With time, the concerns over slavery became a controversy of the morality verse the importance of it. In the first document, Thomas Jefferson explains the exploitation of discrimination among the slaves by writing, “The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other” (Document 1, Thomas Jefferson Wrestles with Slavery, 1785, p 387). He also testifies that the exploitation belittles a man, “The man must be a prodigy who can retain his manners and morals undepraved by such circumstances” (Document 1, Thomas Jefferson Wrestles with Slavery, 1785, 388). Slavery was also frowned upon because of the religious aspects of it being sinful and discriminatory. ‘…a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God?
Some examples of such would be, illegally lobbying or bribing government leaders to gain passage of certain laws, or tax codes. Another form of class conflict may include, a lock out aimed at destroying a labor union, and this is called “open conflict”, or “hidden conflict”, which could be a slowdown in production protesting the wages being paid. According to Karl Marx however, class conflict and struggle are inevitable dissentions that occur because of the economic organization of most societies (Johnson, 2000). Marx also believed that class is defined by the ownership of property and such ownership vests a person with the power to exclude others from the property and to use it for personal purposes. In relation to property, there are three classes of society, they include, the bourgeoisie or the people who own the means of production such as factory and machinery buildings, and whose income is profit, landowners whose income is rent, and the proletariat who own their labor and sell it for a wage.
The Marxism interpretation on “Our Economic Pickle” and its critics PART I The article “Our Economic Pickle” published on New York Times analyzes the issue of stagnant wage of blue-collar workers and presentes several solutions. In a Marxism interpretation, the issue is precisely the outcome of capitalism, and the only solution to the problem is communism. The article reflects the flaw of capitalism: the estranged relationship between production and producer. Marx said, “What they [men] are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce.”(Marx, P.150) In other words, production becomes human’s material life. Before capitalism, humans produced their own product with their own instrument of production, however, after capitalism come into being, not only the means of production but also the products themselves are taken away from the producers.
Treatment of Willy Loman as a Tragic Hero: Death of a Salesman, Miller’s most famous work, while addressing the painful conflicts within one family, tackles larger issues regarding American national values. The play examines the cost of blind faith in the American Dream. In this respect, it offers a postwar American reading of personal tragedy in the tradition of Sophocles’ Oedipus Cycle. Miller charges America with selling a false myth constructed around a capitalist materialism nurtured by the postwar economy, a materialism that obscured the personal truth and moral vision of the original American Dream described by the country’s founders. The tone of Miller’s stage directions and dialogue ranges from sincere to parodying, but, in general, the treatment is tender, though at times brutally honest, towards the protagonist’s plight.