Appleman, Critical Encounters Chapter 4

Applemans chapter on the Marxist approach was very involved. Although I haven't even heard of the Marxist lens until taking this coures I feel that examining political and social issues especially the issue of class or socioeconomic status very important. It seems that nearly every novel has some ties to the issue of class struggle, usually the struggle for power during times of poverty or prosperity. The spark of this struggle is clearly competing ideas, which is also a part of Marxist criticism. One group or class is always seen as superior and the other is considered inferior to others and this is no different in American society today and throughout history. Those who have money have power. It is useful to examine this theory because our students come from various social classes. Appleman agrees with this by expressing "As we acknowledge the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of the students who will read and discuss literary texts together, we also might acknowledge the need to consider particular issues of race and class deliberately and thoughtfully" page 59. Whenever issues of class are discussed, like the students talking about Hamlet, I feel that students may be resistant in talking about their own economic statuses. How do we as teachers avoid students becoming afraid to talk about their social classes, or should this issue of "uncomfortabilty" with one's own social class be directly exploited? These are the questions we should be asking as teachers trying to teach the Marxist approach to literature