Response to Dr. Craig

Thank you Chris for an interesting view of Marxism and its current effects on our society. It is fascinating to think that capitalist businesses worldwide permit the distribution of Marxist ideology. The boutique's display of the burgundy Communist Manifesto strategically placed comfortably next to Rodin's Il Penser is quite comical in a sense. Surely, this is sheer irony that a business would display a Marxist piece of literature for all eyes to see. The consumer is drawn to a fervid color such as red and attracted to the book's rebellious reputation that it is actually a brilliant marketing tool. Wear the jeans and you will be a revolutionary; revolutionary in fashionable, presumably sweatshop produced jeans. How novel! In addition to the jeans, the infamous Che Guevara t shirts never fail to send a shiver up my spine. Ironic or not, the shirt completely disregards Guevara's mission to seek total distachment from the ruling class and capitalism entirely. This contradiction is apparent in an array of American corporations. Now it is even more convenient to attain such a trendy shirt. Just go to http://www.thechestore.com/ and wear the face of a true twentieth century 'pop' icon, a 'symbol of rebellion', as described on this online shopping website.



Dr. Craig goes on to mention that these examples are a part of the hegemonic direction run by the American ruling class. Another use of hegemonic power is frequently utilized within the media. The bourgeoisie of the media orchestrate what is to be discussed on the daily news. Those of us who regularly see increasing and decreasing stockmarket cycles on the nightly news are usually wage-earners. When the wages are the up, the stock goes down. At any rate, the media has control over the reporting of these matters, limiting the wage-earners ability to identify their own suppression; the inability to think for themselves and speak for themselves. The rich, ruling class remain affluent and the poor, wage-earning class remain destitute (or close to it). It seems to be a never-ending cycle.



In literature, the author's viewpoint surely takes a front seat in the message he or she is attempting to convey. As Dr. Craig puts it, "The text's authority is assigned to the writer." Those authors who remove themselves from the fetters of dominant ideology are those who perhaps disagree with these dominant ideological messages. However, these authors cannot completely remove themselves from dominant values. All-in-all, Marxism is able to provide the necessary instruments to understand class ideology and how it is omnipresent within our day-to-day life.