ENGL 497

Senior Seminar
Prof. G. Steinberg

Marx

Marx is one of the most influential theorists in modern literary studies, even though he himself never really wrote about literature.  His theories about the interplay between the economy and social institutions have greatly influenced the thinking of literary scholars who study the production and consumption of literary texts.

So, in reading the assigned selections from Marx, think about how Marx's vision of the world would affect one's perception of literature.  How, for example, would each of Marx's stages of development in the division of labor affect the production and consumption of literature?  What kind of literature would be produced under each of Marx's forms of ownership?  How does Marx account for the continued consumption during a later form of ownership of a literature produced under an earlier form (e.g., the Greek literature produced under ancient communal ownership consumed and appreciated during the industrial period with its capitalist economy)?

To respond to these questions on the message board, click here.