Marxist Criticism

I really enjoyed the Marxist Criticism chapter, especially the reading of Gatsby through the Marxist glasses.  The idea that "getting and keeping economic power is the motive" of practically everything I think really resonates in the economical and political situation today (51).  The idea of the bourgeoisie being the wealthy class, the one percent, and the proletariat being everyone else, the ninety-nine percent, shows just how times never really change.  The Occupy Movement has died down a bit now, but just a little while ago they were all over the news.  Marx would be thrilled that there are people still fighting.

I also liked the part about the economically oppressed.  I think that these days, we call ourselves 'the working poor', making enough to get by, but never really making enough to improve our situation.  My husband and I joke that we live comfortably enough, as long as nothing breaks.  We are lucky enough that he works for Stevenson, and that I can go to school.  We are going to have the opportunity, I hope, to start climbing out of the whole that we have been stuck in, once I graduate and have my 'grown-up job.'  I have no idea how anyone else does it without going crazy or going into crippling debt.  I really don't.  But on to Gatsby...

For me, Tyson's reading of Gatsby in this chapter is the most different and appealing reading that we've done so far.  We've seen longing, the spirit of the day, and other meanings, but this one, the "dark underbelly", is unique (66).  The deaths of Gatsby and Myrtle never really felt right in any of the other readings, and certainly not in my own.  They always seemed too dark for the book, but with my Marxist glasses on, they make so much more sense.

While I've never liked Tom, the Marxist idea of commodification of people makes his character more believable.  He buys both Daisy and Myrtle, but I never understood his relationship with Myrtle.  She is portrayed as being big and loud, not a woman who would seem appealing at all to Tom.  I would think that he would be more likely to choose a woman who was quiet and obedient.  However, the fact that she is poor makes his wealth more exciting, thus making Tom feel better about himself.  With Daisy, they are of the same class, so his wealth isn't so impressive to her.  Tom keeps an apartment for Myrtle, a cheap, tiny little apartment.  This also always bugged me.  I never bought the fact that Tom would stay in an apartment like that.  But because of Myrtle's social standing, any apartment would be better than hers, and this made Tom's wealth seem more exciting.

Gatsby also makes more sense when you look at socio-economic class.  I always had a tough time with the fact that he had worked so hard to get to where he was, but then to refuse to enjoy any of it.  He was always absent at his parties, and it didn't make sense to me.  Why wasn't he out enjoying his parties, even if only to meet someone who knew Daisy?  Tyson's reading answers this with sing-exchange value: "he wants the image their ownership confers on him and nothing more" (70).

Thank you, Lois Tyson, for this reading.  You have made me love Gatsby again.