1. Marxist and Feminist Criticism
Getting started

2. Marxist Criticism
Tyson explains that “For Marxism, getting and keeping economic power is the motive behind all social and political activities, including education, philosophy, religion, government, the arts, science, technology, the media, and so on. Thus, economics is the base on which the superstructure of social/political/ideological realities is built” (51). So we’d look at who has money, who wants money, how do people get money, etc…

3. Marxist Criticism – Key points
Class
Capitalism
Imperialism
The connection between religion, politics, education, and social institutions
Commodity and commodification
Alienation
Ideology

4. Feminist Criticism
Tyson explains that “Broadly defined, feminist criticism examines the ways in which literature (and other cultural productions) reinforces or undermines the economic, political, social, and psychological oppression of women” (81). So we’ll look at how masculinity and femininity are define by the author and the characters, how relationships between men and women, women and women, and men and men function, how sex difference and gender difference are expressed etc…

5. Feminist Criticism – Key points
Sex
Gender
Roles
Patriarchy
Gendered “gazes” or points of view
Misogyny, gynophobia, sexism
Intersections of oppression or deprivation