History Ideology and Literature

A short review of Terry Eagleton’s renowned book: Marxism and Literary criticism

“All art bears the imprint of its historical epoch”, Eagleton quotes painter Henri Martisse, “but great art is that in which this imprint is most deeply marked”

The aim of Marxist criticism is not only to explain the style, form, and meaning of literarary texts, but also to understand it as product of history. Frankly, Marxists cannot claim to be founders of this methodology. One could argue that, within the revolutionary context, it is Marxism that developed the methodology of understanding history itself. According Eagleton, that’s where the originality of Marxist Literary criticism exists.
‘Marxism And Literary criticism’ was originally published in the late 1980s. One may be justified in asking about the significance of this book 15years after the fall of the soviet empire. Eagleton answers this question as follows: The soviet system was not Marxist because the inquisition was not Xian. Moreover, capital and market forces are getting organized globally with unprecedented strength. These make theories of Marx more relevant today--even more than at any point of time. Indeed fundamentalism moved into the vacuum which the “left” had created. Egleton asserts in the preface of the new edition: If the left had been allowed to fulfill its pledge it is conceivable that the world trade center might still be in one piece”
Like all Marxist critics, Eagleton also builds his work from the well known base-superstructure concept. He agrees to the idea that Art and literature form part of the superstructure of which economics is the base. But for him, Ideology is not simply a set of ideas, it signifies the way men live out their roles in society. Ideology, thus, prevents them from having a true knowledge of the exploitation prevalent in the society. Eagleton discards the vulgar Marxist view that works of art are merely expressions of the ideologies of their times. He also disagrees with Ernst Fischer that literature always transcends the ideological limit of its time, thus uncovering realities hidden by ideologies. Eagleton would rather go along with Louis Althusser and Pierre Mcherey. Ideology signifies the imaginary way in which individuals experience the real world. This is the experience which literature provides. This is the raw material for a writer who gives shape and structure to it. By doing this, art contributes to our deliverance from the ideological illusion.
Eagleton is in complete agreement with Macherey’s observation that “a work is tied to ideology not so much with what it says but what it does not say’. It is in this significant silence of the text that the presence of ideology can be most positively felt. As expected, the most important point discussed is the question of commitment –of the writer and his text to the cause of the proletariat. In the hay day of socialist realism under Stalin, the content was considered very important. But the great masters Marx and Engels never had this opinion—nor did Lenin. They were all admirers of classics. Eagleton follows the Great Masters foot steps. Contrary to the prevalent practice he discusses in detail Trotsky’s views expressed in his Literature & revolution. Trotsky had categorically stated that a work of art should be judged according to rules relating to literary creation
This does not mean that the Marxian view determines that literature should be neutral and uncommitted. On the contrary great art & literary works will always be partisan. It is, in fact, committed to the oppressed class in any particular historical situation. This need not necessarily be open commitment. Even literary works written from the perspective of the oppressor will be of help to the revolution to the extent that it brings out the travails of the oppressed class to the notice of the readers. Thus, it exposes the true nature of the system.

With the disintegration of the soviet system, discussion on such topics has almost come to an end the world over. As said earlier in the article these theories are more relevant in this age of globalization and they can form the ideological base for the impending struggle against the new forms of global exploitation. The new edition of Eagle ton’s Marxism & Literary Criticism can be a good starting point for a meaningful dialogue.