Sample Literature Harvard Style Analyzing Charles Dickens As A Marxist Writer

Charles Dickens as a Marxist Writer 1

[Question: Analyze Charles Dickens as a Marxist writer?]

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CHARLES DICKENS AS A MARXIST WRITER

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Charles Dickens as a Marxist Writer 2

CHARLES DICKENS AS A MARXIST WRITER

Introduction

The fundamentals of Marxism consider critical and prescriptive approaches to

interpreting sociological relationships affecting the society. Besides explaining social-

historical-political affiliations, Marxism institutes an economic understanding based on social

equality and fair distribution of societal resources. This expresses the belief in eliminating

personal considerations and adopting communistic approaches (Doob, 2015, 14). Thus,

Marxist theories explicate societal conflict of interest, functionalism of social classes,

political theories, capitalism, and societal productivity. Viewed critically, Dickens emerges as

an author whose writing expresses the beliefs of Marxism with an inherent understanding of

all their principles (Dickens, 1877, 463). His publications like Great Expectations, The Old

Curiosity Shop, Sketches by Boz, The Pickwick Papers, and Early Workers: At Sorting among

others express Marxist ideas of consumerism, mass production, material and human

resources, social change, popularity, societal classing, and capitalism.

Mass Production and Resources

The interplay between the Marxist ideas of mass production and resources presents

one of the most evident elements in the writings of Dickens. In an intricate link, Dickens

manages to present situations in which mass production affects both human and material

resources disparately. The article Early Workers: At Sorting that was published on July 14

1877 is set on the economic traditions of the Victorian era. Notably, societal preoccupation

with the value of material and human resources gets witnessed in the processes of mass

production and recycling. As explained by Eagleton (2006, 163), the system built by Dickens

in this publication eliminates the presence of waste by recycling all material and human

resources. Dickens himself extends criticism to any process that wastes resources. This is a

primary element of Marxism. A further explanation by Steiner (2011, 109) points out the

Charles Dickens as a Marxist Writer 3

extent of value for resources and socialism in other characters of Dickens’ publications like

Pecksniff’s protest against oppression and misuse of human resources in Oliver Twist.

Another case that points to the same is witnessed in Tupman’s complaints against the

authority in relation to human resources in The Pickwick Papers (Eagleton, 2006, 51).

Capitalism, Consumerism, and Wealth

Perhaps, capitalism, consumerism, and wealth are among the most represented

elements of Marxism in the writings of Dickens. Marxist beliefs consider human needs

paramount to other elements like private gains and capital. It is for this reason that Marxists

have always sought to make social decisions on the basis of human needs against monetary

elements of gains (Eagleton& Milne, 1996, 48). In Dickens’ Great Expectations, he reveals a

society affected by the existence of capital and wealth in different ways. Accumulation of

capital accords individuals varied statuses in the society. Subsequent behaviours get judged

by the status accorded by the former. A typical example is the case of Pip who is waiting for

a visit from Joe. Contrary to societal expectations, Joe and Pip no longer relate of a friendly

basis. Rather, commercial considerations have changed their perspectives. This is seen in

Pip’s monologue as he expresses the belief that he would have kept Joe away by paying him

(Marx& McLellan, 2000, 48).

In both Sketches by Boz and Early Workers: At Sorting, consumerist cultures of the

Victorian era remain visible. Ideal consumerist ideas do not consider reuse and recycling of

materials. In so championing for these acts, Dickens points a finger at the capitalist, wealthy,

and generous in the society in Early Workers: At Sorting. Their acts are viewed as lavish and

damaging to the society. This is because their wasteful tendencies lead to increased poverty

and scarcity of resources (Dickens, 1877, 464). On the contrary, Sketches by Boz presents a

society in which lower segments of the consumerist society tend to benefit from the acts of

Charles Dickens as a Marxist Writer 4

recycling because it avails to them what they can afford. All these elements reveal Dickens

intricate presentation of Marxism.

Social Change, Popularity, and Value

As explained by Solomon (1979, 603), the writings of Dickens express outstanding

limits of the Marxist elements of social change, popularity, and material value in the society.

Besides seeking to present the attitude that some laws are unfair and deserve to be altered,

Dickens enlists all the elements of change that continuously occur in the society. This is

further identified by Eagleton and Milne (1996, 104) who define the relational significance

linking popularity and value in Marxism in the writings of Dickens. Hence, whether a piece

of work is popular or not, its value remains unaffected. It is because of this that Dickens

works remained popular in the literary field at his time. It is true that this popularity was a

sign of the value in the publications. However, relativity to the social norms and traditions of

writing at the time also played a role in marketing the publications (Doob, 2015, 65). This is

typically witnessed in Workers: At Sorting where he enlists a popular norm of

industrialization by describing a paper recycling plant that is typical of the labour settings at

the time.

Societal Classing and Stratification

Elements of class and stratification are also imminent in the works of Dickens. In

most of his writings, he portrays the picture of an individual who works hard to bridge the

gap between the poor and the rich. Markedly, he has worked his way up the classes through

his writing and acquisition of wealth. In all his publications, he exposes the need for

individuals to make attempts and overcome the challenges of poverty and financial

limitations. In Great Expectations, classing seems to be the elemental motivation for hard

work. In fact, all characters in this publication appeal to Marxist expectations of societal

classing except Pip (Meckier, 2002, 242). A similar portrayal is evident in The Old Curiosity

Charles Dickens as a Marxist Writer 5

Shop where the character Nell has to fall from the bourgeoisie class without taking the

belongings that kept her in the class (Leslie, 2000, 11). This is also evident in many other

publications by Dickens.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fundamentals of Marxism consider critical and prescriptive

approaches to interpreting sociological relationships affecting the society. These explain

social-historical-political affiliations with the perceptions of social equality and fair

distribution of societal resources. These ideologies are brought out in Dickens’ writings

through the Marxist elements of consumerism, mass production, material resources, social

change, popularity, societal classing, and capitalism.

Charles Dickens as a Marxist Writer 6

Reference List

Dickens, C. (1877). "Early Workers: At Sorting." All The Year Round: 463 -464.

Doob, C. (2015). Social Inequality and Social Stratification in U.S. Society. Taylor and

Francis.

Eagleton, T. 2006. Criticism and ideology: A study in Marxist literary theory. London: Verso

Publishing.

Eagleton, T., & Milne, D. (1996). Marxist literary theory: A reader. Oxford: Blackwell

Publications.

Leslie, E. (2000). Walter Benjamin: Overpowering conformism. London: Pluto Press.

Marx, K., & McLellan, D. (2000). Karl Marx: Selected writings. Oxford: Oxford University

Press.

Meckier, J. (2002). Dickens's Great expectations: Misnar's pavilion versus Cinderella.

Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.

Solomon, M. 1979. Marxism and art: Essays classic and contemporary. Detroit: Wayne State

University Press.

Steiner, G. (2011). The poetry of thought: From Hellenism to Celan. New York: New

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