blog 9

Marx

Engels

For the Graveyard Book we see instances where there are multiple theoretical approaches used. One approach that I identified was the Marxian Literary Theory, two major players in this theory are Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. In this Marxist theory Karl Marx talks about inequality in the classes (bourgeoisie and proletarian). In the Journal of Aesthetic Education Vol. 22. No. 2, Published by the University of Illinois Press, by C. David Lisman, he stated that Karl Marx argued that "circumstances make men just as men make circumstances" and that Georg Lukcas in his book Realism in our Times, and who is a Marxist Literary theorists "theorizes that the Western modern literary tradition itself can be seen as mediated by capitalism. He maintains that the modernist tradition has adopted the view that humans are essentially solitary. Modernist characters are a historical beings confined within the limits of their own experience and thrown into the world without any sense of personal history". The statement means that because of the way a person grows up they maybe consider somebody as being in the upper or lower class.

In the Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman we see different classes; an example is the Ghouls and the Ghosts or the people in the graveyard. When Gaiman refers to the Ghouls in the book he refers to them in a degrading and disgusting manner (rats the size of children pg.75). Marxism is also identified where we see that the Man Jack works for persons in high power as they met in an expensive room (Washington Room pg.166) at a hotel and was stating the what good deed they had done for the poor or less fortunate.

Also in Marx Literary Criticism as stated by Terry Eagleton focuses on not only class or sociology but it also aims to explain the form, style and meanings of a literary piece.

some questions are:

1. What differences can i identify between the different classes in the book?

2.How is Marxism formed in the book and how does it affects the characters?

3.How is social class viewed in the different chapters?

4. what class conflict do u see between the Ghouls and the Gosts?

5. How are the "Jacks of All Trades" potrayed as opposed to others?