1. You will be a worker or a clerk.
Marxist Simulation
You will be a worker or a clerk.
There are three clerks-the Head of Production, the Head of Records, and the Head of Candy.
Workers are paid 10 volts for each production (in this case, each doodle)
 Their work will be checked by the Head of Production. If the work is deemed substandard, it will be rejected. If your doodle passes, you will be paid 10 volts.
Workers will then go to the Head of Records to receive credit for their work in the form of a ration coupon.
The Head of Records will record the worker’s information and sign off before giving out the ration coupon.
Workers then turn in their coupons and volts to the Head of Candy to get candy.
Remember, represents food, shelter, clothing, education, etc.—so don’t eat them yet!
The worker with the most candy at the end wins!

2. Marxist Literary Criticism
Dolla dolla bill y’all

3. The Marxist approach to literature is based on the philosophy of Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist. His major argument was that whoever controlled the means of production in society controlled the society—whoever owned the factories “owned” the culture.
From his point of view, the means of production (i.e., the basis of power in society) should be placed in the hands of the masses, who actually operated them, not in the hands of those few who owned them.
It was a perverted version of this philosophy that was at the heart of the Soviet Union. Marxism was also the rallying cry of the poor and oppressed all over the world.
To read a work from a Marxist perspective, one must understand that Marxism asserts that literature is a reflection of culture, and that culture can be affected by literature (Marxists believed literature could instigate revolution).

4. What Marxist critics do:
(1) Believe that oppression exists in the subconscious of a society—social pecking orders are inherent to any group.
(2) Explain the nature of a whole literary genre in terms of the social period which “produced” it.
(3) Consider the social class of the author and the characters. Who is powerful? Who is powerless?

5. What Marxist critics do:
(4) Relate the literary work to the social assumptions of the time in which it is “consumed” (or read)
(5) Look for symbols that create or reveal an
“individual versus exploitive system” theme
“oppressive culture” and “alienated” theme
“individual as dehumanized, mechanized, robotized, zombiefied—only serving the larger cause; only producing for ‘greater good’” theme

6. Marxist critics may also analyze . . .
Marginalization of lower classes (placed at edge of society socially, economically, and politically)
Violence between the classes
Dehumanization of the lower classes
The intersectionality of class and race, sex, etc.
The influence class has on politics, religion, etc.

7. I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address,
In the torn-up town, no post code envy
[Hook]
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash.
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair.
And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood,
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz.
Let me be your ruler (ruler),
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.
[Verse 2]
My friends and I – we've cracked the code.
We count our dollars on the train to the party.
And everyone who knows us knows that we're fine with this,
We didn't come from money.
[Hook]
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, trippin' in the bathroom.
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room,
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams.
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece.
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals).
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us.
We crave a different kind of buzz.
Let me be your ruler (ruler),
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule.
Let me live that fantasy.
Ooh ooh oh
We're bigger than we ever dreamed,
And I'm in love with being queen.
Life is game without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair.
We crave a different kind of buzz