Conversations on Marxism

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Mulan has long been favored as one of the best Disney movies and one of the best Disney princess movies (despite her not being a princess). When Disney announced that they are producing a live-action version of Mulan in 2020 fans were thrilled. However from what we know of the 2020 film, there have been many changes made to the 1998 version. Since it has not yet been released we do not know everything about the remake, however with the release of the cast list, the changes made from the original are evident. The changes made to the cast include an addition of a younger sister for Mulan, so she is responsible as the older sister and more pressured to follow the traditional role. Another addition is Commander Tung who acts as Mulan mentor. Perhaps his role is necessary because of the removal of the character General Li Shang. A powerful witch  villain was added to the cast, who is the antagonist that conflicts with Mulan. Two extra characters are added as well, playing Indian con artists. 

In the 2020 live action, perhaps the biggest change made is the removal of the character Li Shang. The removal of Li Shang is because of the controversy over his character being bisexual. The hint of Shang’s bisexuality came from how his affection for Mulan grew while she was “Ping”. Many people are concerned that Shangs character will confuse children with how a man can have feeling for another “man” but then have feelings for a woman. The erasure of Li Shangs character from the movie signifies that society has not completely accepted bisexuality. Furthermore it suggests that society still finds discussing sexuality uncomfortable (especially when it isn’t heterosexual) so instead of profoundly addressing it in the movie, they chose to ignore it. 

The removal of Shangs character reminds me of Wendy Brown’s neoliberalism. According to Neoliberalism, humans make decisions based on Free Market Rationality. Economy is so ingrained in our society that it influences every sphere, and humans make decisions based off of maximizing the most profit or gaining the most, regardless of what they disregard in the process. Because of the pressure to take out a potential bisexual character by a group of people in our society, Disney and the creators of this movie decided that removing the character would maximize their profit. They acted as the “model neoliberal citizen”. Instead of trying to be a part of the change, they followed the existing route to reach society’s laid out path to success, thinking only of themselves and their own gain.

While the original 1998 version of Mulan included enlightened and modern elements such as women empowerment and bisexuality, the 2020 version has taken a step backward by erasing Li Shangs character.

Postcolonialism is one of those concepts that leaves a lasting impact on our collective society, yet we don’t spend time to analyze it because that just happens to be “the way it is”. Essentially Postcolonial Theory analyzes the effects of colonialism on cultures and societies (both colonized and colonizing). It is concerned with how Western powers (ie European nations and America) colonized and controlled MANY other developing nations with different cultures, and how these groups have responded to and resisted the encroachment. Post-colonialism includes analyzing the inferiority that people of colonized countries feel after being oppressed by the colonizers (even years after colonization). This has continued to influence society with the underlying belief that western powers in every aspect are superior to easterners, or those who originate from the colonized countries. Furthermore, after the period of colonization when the colonist have gained their independence, they aren’t truly “free”. The colonized in the aftermath can feel disoriented. They’ve lived with a certain culture being imposed on the for so long that they may assimilate or not know any other way to live. The impositions of the colonizers culture on the colonized may create a hybridity – the mixing of both cultures.

Homi K. Bhabha, a postcolonial theorists (among others including Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Edward Said, and Frantz Fanon), discussed this concept of “hybridity”. Bhabha states that the postcolonial world should value the “spaces of mixing”. Recognizing this ambivalent space of cultural identity may help in overcoming the “exoticism” of cultural diversity in favour of the hybridity that resolves cultural differences. It is the “in between space” that causes culture to carry such a burden, so his concept of hybridity is valued so that it may release these burdens.

In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, postcolonial theory can be used to see the effects of colonialism on India. Among the many examples, one of them being during the game when Jamal was asked the question about who was on the American hundred dollar bill. Jamal answers correctly, saying Benjamin Franklin. However when asked who was on the Indian rupee he says that he does not know. This magnifies the difference between the value of the currency’s. This signifies that not only is the dollar is more valuable but the American man on it was more important as well – rather than the rupee and the influential Mahatma Gandhi pictured on it.

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The animated Mulan can be analyzed using Postcolonial theory as well. Despite Mulan being based in China during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the movie is heavily westernized. One of the most significant westernized aspects of the movie is Mulan herself. In the movie Mulan is portrayed as a strong headed, independent woman who is not afraid to take her fathers place as a soldier. She is not afraid to speak her mind and goes against what the traditional Chinese woman and wife is supposed to be like. Chinese women during her time were not involved in war or politics, instead they focused more on their domestic role and kept confined to the house. Chinese women were meant to be gentle, submissive, and domesticated. While the character of Mulan is supposed to represent a feminist figure, she does not represent the traditional Chinese woman and in fact her character is westernized. She is given values and a perspective that is more common in western women than eastern women. Her character is therefore structured through the western lens. Her character also represents a MODERN western woman even though the time was the Wei Dynasty, which shines a brighter light on the modern western woman and dims the light on the eastern woman who doesn’t share the same values. In doing this, the movie makes western values seem “better” than eastern values, and implements this idea in the minds of the most malleable individuals in their audience – children.

The Truman Show

Baudrillards Third Order is based on a simulation without an original. It encompasses the death of the real and presence of a simulation of reality ie a “hyperreality”. The Truman Show is a prime example of a simulation. Truman believes in this false reality he has grown up in because he knows no other world (reality) besides the one he’s grown up in. Therefore the Truman Show is a simulation of the perfect “reality” that is Truman’s life.

The audience within the movie that watches this show do not see any ethical violations and continue watching the show despite knowing the life Truman is living is all for the purpose of entertainment. The audience that continue watching are complicit because they allow him to continue living in this false reality.

A social criticism the movie portrays is the effects media has on people. The audience in the movie are compelled to the show. They are tuned in 24/7, and some even sleep with the television on for “comfort”. The show has made money off of this 24 hour viewership and the product placement in the show that the audience is manipulated to buy just so their life mimics a fraction of Truman’s.

Another criticism the Truman show portrays about society is the surveillance of people within the society. People are constantly being watched in society, and this show reflects that by the 24 hour surveillance of Truman.

The Matrix

The Matrix is another example of the Third Order by portraying a computer simulation that seems like reality but is actually hyperreality. The coding in some scenes of the movie symbolizes the falsehood of the reality of this simulation. However the people within the movie are so focused on this hyperreality that they forget it isn’t real. However, Neo becomes an exception because he realizes that this matrix world isn’t real. Its only a simulation he’s put himself in and that whatever happens in this simulation (ie whether he dies) wouldn’t effect him in real life.

A social criticism the Matrix depicts is the idea that human beings are prone to believing something is not real if it isn’t before their eyes. Just as the men in Plato‘s cave allegory only believed in what was before their eyes, human beings believe in what they are able to prove or see. But just because people are unable to see or prove something does not make it any less real.

Another social criticism is surveillance. This Movie depicts the constant surveillance Neo and his group are under, but reveals everyone is being watched as well. It’s symbolized the surveillance people are constantly under in our modern society.

Order 1 is a copy that IS an original such as art or a photograph. It blurs the idea of a copy and an original such as the Mona Lisa as the original piece versus the lady herself. The reality is masked or altered by the copy (art/photograph/etc).

This is an example of Order 1 because is it a copy (photograph) that is an original (the dog). However this image displays a moment of the dogs life, failing to provide the reality of the dogs life. The image masks the dogs reality.

Order 2 is a copy OF the original. Baudrillard associates it with the industrial revolution. Because of mass production (and multiplying of copies) the distinction between the original and copy are broken down so the copy threatens to replace the original that it imitates. Reproduction of a prototype are just as real as the prototype itself.

This poster is an example of order 2 because this poster has been reproduced many times from its original prototype. As the years change, the copies are edited but the overall theme of the banner remains the same, and is just as real as the prototype.

Order 3 Is the copy without the original. This stage is associated with the postmodern age in with the representation comes before and determines the real. There is no distinction between the two (representation and the real), there is only the simulacrum.

Television sitcoms are very good examples of order 3 because in order three there is no prototype or real, instead there is only the simulation of reality – hyperreality. Friends is an example of this because while it’s meant to represent reality, the representation is inaccurate and unrealistic. By understanding the unrealistic nature of friends, we identify our reality (our world and lives) as real.

8 March 2019

Reading the Landscape

deadline for submissions: April 5, 2019full name / name of organization: Graduate Literature Student Association of City College of New Yorkcontact email: screane000@citymail.cuny.edu

“Reading the Landscape”

The Second Annual City College of New York Graduate Literature Conference

Conference Date: May 17, 2019

Submission Deadline: April 5, 2019

Landscapes inspire contemplation. Some consider landscapes to be natural while others see them as something created by effacing people and their work. Much literature centers on relationships between people and landscapes and how these relationships are shaped by economic forces.

“Landscape” can be interpreted in many ways; not only a barren windswept heath but also a towering city skyline could be considered a landscape, for example. To further extend the concept, we might talk of the media, literary, academic, or political landscapes. Regardless of how we define the term, this conference seeks to explore how we imagine ourselves as part of the contexts we inhabit. Among other questions, we want to ask how we view landscapes, how we create them, and how they shape us. Participants should consider how attention to landscape informs our understandings of literature and culture.

Interest and Intentions

The conference explains that landscapes encourage thinking and some believe that landscapes are natural in their existence while others think they’re created by people and their work. The “landscape” the post refers to is not only the physical concrete landscape, but includes spheres such as the media, literature, academics, and politics. Regardless of what the terms refers to, the purpose of the conference is to discuss and analyze the relationship between people and the landscape and how the landscape is shaped by economic forces.

This conference is interesting because the “landscape” it is referring to is similar to the Superstructure that Marx discusses. Including the physical landscape, this landscape also includes spheres such as education, politics, law, etc. Using Marxism, this landscape of our society is reflective of our capitalist economic base, and analyzing the extent of the effects this base has on our society is intriguing. Another interesting aspect of this conference is that it doesn’t limit the discussion to one sphere such as education or economy, because it understands that economy has a far extending influence. To meet the tenants of the conference, my research will focus on various spheres of our society. I will provide an in-depth analysis on the relationship between people and the various “landscapes” in our society. I’m interested in using examples within the media and entertainment industry which are influential entities in our modern society. I intend on discussing modern day politics and the fact that it doesn’t influence economy as much as it itself is influenced by economy. I also intend to learn how understanding this relationship influences our perspective of the society through events, literature, and art. The question I intend to discuss is what is the extent of the influence of the economy on other spheres in our society, and is the economy still considered a separate sphere since it deeply influences many aspects of our collective society. Using Marxist arguments, I will overall analyze how the “landscape” of our society reflects the base, and how the base influences the “landscape”.

23 February 2019

Marxism originates from the discursive conversations of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The basis of Marxist theory as stated by the founder and main theorist Karl Marx is the history of class struggles in a society. The reason Marx reasonates with many is because his work sets the basis of Marxism itself. He’s written many books encompassing his thoughts, and his works are significant because they create a conversation or discourse that others throughout time have developed, added onto, analyzed or even refuted. For example, influential theories such as Foucauldian and Neoliberalism belong to Marx’s discursive conversation further showing how influential Marx was and continues to be.

One of his most monumental works is the Communist Manifesto which is refered to time and time again. He explains that societies are constantly divided by class whether it be “Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf, guildmaster and journeyman, in a word, oppressor and oppressed.”

Marxist theory includes the “Base” which is economic foundation (including the economic system and Bourgeoisie/Proletariat) while the “Superstructure” reflects the Base with ideology such as religion, education, politics, law, culture etc. Marx uses this to analyze societies throughout history, and encourages people to analyze how the Superstructure reflects the Base and what that means for a given society.

22 February 2019

NARRATOR BACKGROUND

The Sympathizer written by Viet Thanh Nguyen reflects much of the contradictions between Capitalism and Marxism as seen through the point of view of the narrator who is a Vietnamese communist mole in the ranks of the soldiers in the southern Democratic forces.  When discussing his childhood the narrator establishes that he is the bastard son of a French priest and Vietnamese woman, and that he was raised in poverty with mainly his mother being present. His education was the way in which he was able to rise up from his impoverished life. His understanding of life and struggles in the lower class paired with his educational background and understanding of Marxist ideals (implied when he states its part of his job to inform the General of the short version meaning of these ideals) emphasizes that as an informed person he still chooses to align with the northern forces.

FEAR OF COMMUNISM

The book succeeds in showcasing the hate and fear people have of Marxist ideals and the implementation of a communist society. An example is shown while members of the upper class such as the general are fleeing the nation before the fall of Saigon, one of his workers, the chef, asks for his gun in order to kill himself before caught by the northern communist forces. Perhaps this fear is because of the communists realizing his relation to the General, however it shows that many fear these ideals (portrayed through the western lens) so much that they are more willing to die than to live within a communist society. Those who fled the country via boats and who surrounded the US embassy at Saigon further support this idea that death is better than life in a communist country. However, America’s involvement in Vietnam promoted democratic ideals while fueling fear and hatred of communist ideals.

MOVIEMAKING ASPECT

Furthermore, the movie-making aspect of the book where the Narrator is involved in the creation of a movie based on the Vietnam war exemplifies the power relations Marx discusses. In the capitalist society of America that they live in during the 1970s, Hollywood has surfaced as a great profiting industry. It’s not only intended to create art in the form of films but it’s intended to profit from the audience that watches these films.

While making the movie, the Narrator is irritated that the producer tends to stray away from a correct cultural portrayal of the Vietnamese. At one point he’s speaking with the producer’s assistant about why the actors playing Vietnamese characters don’t speak in the native language instead of English. The assistant responds by stating that the audience (those who will pay to watch the movie) aren’t going to be the Vietnamese who understand the native language but mainly Americans who are English speakers.

Language is a big part of culture and changing the language in a given setting has a big effect on the story being told. But in this case, the producer believes the language change is necessary to profit off of the movie, no matter the effect it has to the authenticity of the story.

This exemplifies one effect that capitalism has on society – showing that people believe it’s okay to compromise the authenticity of a story and change/tweak certain aspects that are important in portraying one’s culture, because they can profit from it and it economically benefits them.

This example shows how capitalism as the economic Base effects the Superstructure in terms of culture, art, and language, and how the value of remaining authentic to language, art, and culture can change (or decrease) if it means someone can profit off of it.

21 February 2019 By: Arian Mohammadyar

Initial Ramblings on the Theory of Marxism

Through the discourse of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Marxism views history through mainly the class struggles within various societies which play a role in driving history itself. In fact, Marx believes that throughout history societies have had classes or groups strictly divided and yielding different amounts of power. This imbalance of power includes one group (usually smaller) possessing a lot of the power compared to another (usually larger) group, and in a sense, these groups can be classified as either the “oppressor” or the “oppressed”.

Marx argued that in an industrial society the division is between the bourgeoisie (ruling class) and the proletariat (working class), with the bourgeoisie being economically superior by holding more capital and exploiting the proletariat, and therefore possessing more power. Marx refers to these power relations as the economic base or principle (foundation) of our society, and everything else within our society such as politics, religion, education, laws, media, and overall culture reflects this economic base and is known as the “superstructure”.

Marx concludes that holding more economic power equates to possessing more power in an overall society including political power. He believes that class struggles is a trigger for social reform, in that eventually the “oppressed” class (which he believe is the working proletariat) will join together to overthrow the oppressive ruling class (which he believes is the bourgeoisie who use the capitalist system and own the means of production in order to acquire the most wealth and power while exploiting the working class), and establish a classless society based on socialism. This new society will be one in which power,whether it be political or economic, is distributed equally, and acts as a transition to Communism. It is important to understand that while Marxism supports Some form of socialism, not all forms of socialism are solely based on Marxist ideals.

Marxism also criticizes Capitalism, which is the system that is intended to promote individualism, private ownership and freedom of enterprise. Capitalism prefers trading without government regulation and is based on the idea that individualism without government involvement is beneficial for the progression of society and economic growth, whereas government regulations will limit or prohibit the progression of society. Believing that government regulations and some sort of public ownership in an economy will harm economic progress encourages more people to support capitalism. In conclusion, while Marxism is a theory used to analyze history through class struggles, it can also be used to identify the relationship between the superstructure and the economic base and how the superstructure reflects the economic base in a given society.

The history of all previous society has been the history of class struggles. – Karl Marx

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