The idea of Marxist literary criticism in contemporary American culture is an intriguing insight not only into what we think today about the commonalities and differences in ideologies between opposing sides but also it is a good way to look at how we have come to our contemporary understanding of literature and culture and where this may lead our thinking and forms of criticism for the future. I think that Professor Craig makes a good argument in posing the idea in asking the question of how past experiences such as in literature and culture affect our understanding of such issues such as world politics and world history as well as how we react to seeing the same items today. A book such as The Communist Manifesto in the 1950’s or 1960’s would have caused much controversy and probably an investigation from the United States government due to the fact that there was so much hype and hysteria surrounding the issue of communism. The easiest way that I can understand how Marxism works and understand best is to compare it to the components of liberal humanism and its ten tenets. I think that tin order to understand how Marxist criticism works you need to understand the context of what Marxist criticism or any other form of criticism for that matter is being discussed. I think that Marxist criticism is quite useful in trying to understand particularly politics in the United States and American Culture post World War 2.
I think that Professor Craig makes several interesting points in regards to Marxist criticism and the cold war. I think that the cold war and the space race of the 1960’s have provided a major platform for literary and cultural theorists to discern and understand American thinking of the literature that is produced in this time period. In particular, if you look at some of the art work and literature of the 1950’s and 1960’s you can see that the American conscience has shifted away from the traditional to form a new sort of cultural nom and to look at art and literature in a new light. I think that Marxist criticism if anything has made Americans more aware of what they are looking simply because of the fact that it pulls apart and analyzes what had been the norm in American culture for so long.
I also believe that Professor Craig’s idea of the use of the revolutionary is interesting however, I do not entirely agree with it. I think that post cold war retailers are taking what was previous there and popularizing it whether or not for capital gain. I don’t think that putting The Communist Manifesto with a pair of jeans to see the jeans makes that book any more or less revolutionary. I feel that the book was going to have its impact good or bad regardless of how it was used. These are just a few of my thoughts on Professor Craig’s post and on Marxist criticism in general.